Short-term Crops Research Articles

Maximizing Agricultural Performance in Developing Countries: Implementing Efficient Cultivation Strategies for Short-Term Harvests to Boost Production Rates and Accelerate Supply Chain Efficiency

Improving agricultural productivity in developing countries is crucial for food security and economic prosperity. This research investigates the application of effective agricultural systems focused at short-term harvests in order to increase production rates and optimize supply chain efficiency. This study's focus on innovative farming techniques, technology adoption, and supply chain management improvements desires to assist policymakers, agricultural practitioners, and stakeholders with practical knowledge. This study focuses on multiple cultivation using the ground and the spaces accessible above it; therefore, the cost will remain constant or as low as possible. Cultivators will use minimal effort to bring out maximum harvest where they will use less labour as the ground is the same. This study will discuss on efficient cultivation strategies, Short term harvests and production rates, Optimizing supply chain efficiency, Innovative farming techniques and technology adoption, Supply chain management improvements and actionable insights for sustainable agricultural development. Through an emphasis on innovative farming methodologies, technological integration, and enhancements in supply chain management, this study endeavours to furnish actionable insights crucial for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, and stakeholders invested in the agricultural sector. The study emphasizes the vital role of customized changes in agricultural methods in addressing hurdles and maximizing on potential for sustainable agricultural growth. (Kouvelis et al., 2006) According to the findings of this study, the majority of cultivators work on the ground surface. They are spending money on fertilizer, water, and insecticides. One farmer can grow cauliflower, which will occupy the ground's surface. Malabar spinach will occupy the air area starting two feet above the ground. Again, a loft can be built five to six feet above ground to grow several sorts of beans. Other short-term crops such as chilies, spinach, lettuce, and radish can be grown in the gaps between the cultivation bays. In sum, all four layers of crops will need the same quantity of fertilizer, insecticides, and water. Thus, the cost will be almost the same, but the outcome will be four times higher.

Vegetable and fruit wastes: Valuable source for organic fertilizer for effective growth of short-term crops: Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annum

Agriculture plays a vital role in the food security and economies of Asian countries. Annually, numerous metric tons of vegetable and fruit wastes are disposed of. This research aimed to convert the food wastes encompassing the vegetable and fruit wastes into solid and liquid organic fertilizer and to evaluate their influence on the growth (germination, phytochemicals, and biomolecules) of Solanum lycopersicum and Capsicum annum. Solanum lycopersicum, known as tomato, and Capsicum annum, known as bell pepper or chili pepper, are globally significant crops valued for their medicinal properties and economic importance. The pot experiment was performed with organic fertilizers (solid and liquid organic fertilizer) and compared with the influence of chemical fertilizer and control soil without fertilizers. Interestingly, the liquid organic fertilizer effectively enhanced the biometric profile and chlorophyll content of S. lycopersicum and C. annum Viz., 1.23 mg g−1 and 0.89 mg g−1, respectively. The results of a 30-days pot experiment with various fertilizer treatments showed significant influence of liquid organic fertilizer on the fresh and dry weight biomass of both S. lycopersicum and C. annum. Subsequently, the solid organic fertilizer showed considerable influence on test crops, and the influence of these organic fertilizers was more significant than the chemical fertilizer on crop growth in 30-days experiment. These results suggest that the sustainable approach can effectively convert vegetables and fruit waste into valuable organic fertilizer enriched with plant growth supporting essential nutritional elements.

“Guarding Palupuh Forests”: Dutch Colonial Government`s Policies, Local Wisdom, and Forest Management in Nagari Koto Rantang, West Sumatra Province

The Batang Palupuh forest, part of the rimbo gadang (high forest) in Nagari Koto Rantang, Palupuh sub-district, has been part of a natuurmonument (nature reserve) since the Dutch colonial era to protect rare plant species. Long before it was designated as a nature reserve, the people of Koto Rantang with their local wisdom, had been protecting and caring for the forest for centuries. The method used was qualitative with an ethnoscience approach. The results show that the local knowledge of the community understands that the land in their area consists of rimbo gadang, paddy fields, parak, and fields. To utilise each land, especially for rice fields, parak, and ladang they have been guided by local knowledge, starting from determining the land, and the process of planting both long and short-term crops. And, since the management of the forest by the village authority in 2018, it has been developed with the tourism village programme of raflesia village, luak coffee, and rendang variants to domestic and foreign tourists.

Climate shock response and resilience of smallholder farmers in the drylands of south-eastern Zimbabwe

Climatic shocks are exerting pressure on livelihoods of Zimbabwe's smallholder farmer—who irrigate only 2% of their farms. The smallholder farmers in drought-prone areas are more exposed to drought because of their limited ability to cope with shocks and their greater concentration in less favorable climatic regions. This study was done to analyze shock-response approaches, which farmers use to cope with climatic shocks. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze impact of World Vision Zimbabwe (WVZ) and other actors' interventions on farmer resilience to climatic shocks. Results show that mixed cropping and diversification in general were among the major strategies that pastoralists and crop farmers used to cope with climatic shocks. Crop farmers diversified types of crops as well as raising livestock. Similarly, pastoralists started growing short-term crops. Other coping strategies included intercropping, selling livestock, moving livestock to other places that did not experience drought. Both crop producers and livestock keepers engaged in nonfarm activities. About 60% of WVZ households reported that World Vision and partners helped them respond to shock and build resilience against climate change. These coping strategies had favorable impacts on household welfare. Diversification increased dietary diversity index by more than two and the increase was much greater among female-headed households than male-headed households. The WVZ intervention also significantly reduced the odds of going to bed without eating food or sleeping hungry. Non-farm income and value of assets for WVZ beneficiaries increased by about 20% and by 22% among treated female-headed households. The results show that diversification and providing grass root training of smallholder farmers increases their resilience to climate shocks.

Influence of Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum on Phosphorus Loss in Pine Bark Substrates

Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, a byproduct of coal-fired electrical utility plants, has been shown to effectively reduce phosphorus (P) leaching in many agricultural systems. However, its applications in horticultural production systems have been insufficiently researched resulting in limited industry adoption. To evaluate the efficacy of FGD gypsum to reduce P leaching in horticultural media, pine bark substrates were amended with FGD gypsum at 2.5, 5, and 10% (v/v). In accordance with industry practice, controlled release fertilizer (19N-3P-10K) was amply incorporated into all potting media treatments to support primary nutrient sufficiency of transplanted stock. The greatest P leaching occurred in the control substrates containing only pine bark and fertilizer. The standard pine bark substrate treatment, containing lime and micronutrients, reduced total P leaching by 35% and should be considered a best management practice. The addition of FGD gypsum at 2.5, 5, and 10% (v/v) reduced the total P collected in leachate by 47, 59, and 70%, respectively. Gypsum amendments increased potassium leachate concentrations but elevated potassium levels normalized after ~20 days. With little to no effect on substrate physical properties or pH, pine bark substrates can be amended with FGD gypsum to effectively reduce P leaching in short-term crops.

Minimal Necessary Weed Control Does Not Increase Weed-Mediated Biological Pest Control in Romaine Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., var. Romana)

Lettuce is one of the most consumed leafy greens. Depending on the variety, it is ready for harvesting 40–80 days after sowing, and therefore several growth cycles can be concluded within a growing season. Due to its high market standards, lettuce may require intensive management. This study implemented a critical period of weed interference (CPWI) trial to understand at which moment of the cropping cycle weeds can be tolerated without impacting crop yield to decrease the time needed for weeding and assess the potential support weeds can give to biological pest control in lettuce. Treatments represented two gradients of weed intensity: (1) increasingly weed-free, and (2) increasingly weedy. Dose–response curves were produced to find the CPWI based on lettuce relative yield. RLQ analysis was used to explore the relationships between weeding regime and weed functional traits for biological pest control. Yield was above the 5% acceptable yield loss threshold in all plots kept weed-free for 20 days or more, indicating a necessary weed-free period of 20 days from transplanting. However, the support of beneficial insects was not guaranteed at the end of the necessary weed-free period. We suggest that it is possible to limit intense weed management to the beginning of the growing season, reducing the cost of plastic mulches and increasing on-farm biodiversity, but field margins could be better suited to deliver conservation biological control in short-term crops where this service is of primary interest.

Transformasi Mayarakat Petani Sejahtera di Desa Bontojai Kecamatan Bontocani Kabupaten Bone

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze the driving factors for the transformation and transformation of farming communities to achieve prosperity in Bontojai Village, Bontocani District, Bone Regency. This qualitative research uses a phenomenological study strategy. Data was collected by means of participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentation. The validity of the data using the persistence of observations, triangulation of sources and detailed descriptions. The data analysis techniques used were: making small notes, grouping data, analyzing, presenting data and drawing conclusions.The results of the study show (1) The driving factors for the transformation are the behavior of hard work and persistence to maximize the agricultural land owned. Government assistance, educated farmers and experience of nomads who educate the community as a form of counseling through discussions or stories so as to facilitate the adoption of technology that can support agriculture. There is technological innovation and the use of fertilizers and pesticides. (2) the transformation of farming communities to achieve prosperity is to abandon traditional farming methods, to plant long, medium and short term crops. In addition, they do not depend entirely on agricultural products (having other income).

Assessment of Soil Condition Using Soil Quality Index of Different Land Use Types in Liliw, Laguna, Philippines

Soil degradation is a serious problem caused by various anthropogenic activities, which threatens sustainability. An assessment of the soil quality of existing land use types is needed to come up with land management solutions for achieving sustainable use of the land. Soil health is a crucial indicator for sustainable land management and can be evaluated using the soil quality index (SQI). SQI is one of the useful tools that provide an easy understanding of the actual soil condition of different land use types. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the soil quality of three land use types – agriculture, agroforestry, and forest – in Liliw, Laguna through the calculation of its SQI. Soil quality was examined within the 0–20 cm soil depth of each land use having five replicates. Soil attributes such as total nitrogen, pH, organic matter, earthworms, and phosphorus served as the minimum data set for the determination of SQI. Results revealed that the SQI of the land use types followed this trend: forest (76.39%) > agroforestry (76.21%) > agriculture (49.43%). SQI of the forest and agroforestry was classified as very high, whereas agriculture had a low classification. The SQI value of agroforestry was higher than that of agriculture and closer to that of the forest. The most vital soil indicator to the overall SQI was the total nitrogen. It was confirmed in the study that agroforestry is a much better farming system approach than agriculture. Interventions such as incorporating trees – especially nitrogen-fixing tree species – using leguminous short-term crops, and prioritizing the utilization of organic fertilizers should be taken into consideration to enhance the quality of the soil in both cultivated land use types in the area. Generally, this study recommends the prioritization of agroforestry as a technology to be implemented in various programs related to sustainable farming.

Whither the science in wildlife management?

Whither the science in wildlife management?

Comparison of metal bioaccumulation in crop types and consumable parts between two growth periods.

A high proportion of populations in most developing countries live below the poverty line and those near refuse grounds resort to dumpsite farming to grow food. Consequently, high levels of waste‐derived contaminants are found in crops consumed by these people. This study investigates the extent to which crops cultivated on the Mbale dumpsite (Uganda) were contaminated by 11 metals and 2 non‐metals: iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As). We investigated how element bioaccumulation in crops was influenced by the growth period (short‐ and long‐term crop maturity). The short‐term crops were Zea mays and Amaranthus cruentus, whereas the long‐term crops were Manihot esculenta, Colocasia esculenta, Musa acuminata, Carica papaya, Coffea arabica, and Saccharum officinarum. Results showed that nine metals were present at concentrations above World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) food safety recommendations and hence may pose health risks to consumers. In this study, leaves contained higher metal concentrations than other analyzed consumable parts. Pb and Co were found at higher concentrations in leaves of short‐term crops than in long‐term crops. Among short‐term crops, only Z. mays seeds contained permissible metal concentrations by WHO/FAO standards. The growth period was also found to influence metal bioaccumulation in crop types. Pb, Co, Fe, Al, and Cu concentrations were significantly higher in the short‐term crops than in long‐term crops, while Mn, Ni, and Cr concentrations were higher in long‐term crops than in short‐term crops. Overall, public awareness about the health risks associated with consuming short‐term leafy crops grown on dumpsites should be improved to reduce toxic metal exposure. While implementing such a campaign, the food supply of individuals whose survival depends on such crops should not be jeopardized. Therefore, farmers need alternative farming areas outside dumpsites. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1056–1071. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Artificial top-light is more efficient for tomato production than inter-light

Studies of whole-plant responses of tomato to light environments are limited and cannot be extrapolated from observations of seedlings or short-term crops in growth chambers. Effects of artificial light sources like high pressure sodium (HPS) and light emitting diodes (LED) are mainly studied as supplement to sunlight in greenhouses. Since natural sunlight is almost neglectable in Norway during wintertime, we could study effects of different types of artificial light on crop growth and production in tomato. The goal of this experiment was to quantify the effects of artificial HPS top-light, installed at the top of the canopy, and LED inter-light, installed between plant rows, on fresh and dry matter production and fruit quality of greenhouse tomatoes under controlled and documented conditions. Our aim was to optimize yield under different light conditions, while avoiding an unfavourable source-sink balance. Tomato plants were grown under HPS top light with an installed capacity of 161, 242 and 272 W m−2 combined with LED inter-light with an installed capacity of 0, 60 or 120 W m−2. We used stem diameter as a trait to regulate air temperature in different light treatments in order to retain plant vigour. Results show that both HPS top light and LED inter-light increased tomato yield. However, the positive effect of supplemental LED inter-light decreased at higher amounts of HPS top light. Under the conditions in this experiment, with neglectable incoming solar radiation, an installed amount of 242 Watt m-2 HPS top light and a daily light integral (DLI) of 30 mol m-2 day-1 resulted in best light use efficiency (in gram fresh tomato per mol). Addition of LED inter-light to HPS top light reduced light use efficiency. Results show that winter production using artificial light in Norway is more energy efficient compared to production under sunlight in southern countries. Results can be used for modelling purposes.

Groundwater quality assessment for irrigation by adopting new suitability plot and spatial analysis based on fuzzy logic technique

This study was focused on identifying the region suitable for agriculture-based, using new irrigation groundwater quality plot and its spatio-temporal variation with fuzzy logic technique in a geographic information system (GIS) platform. Six hundred and eighty groundwater samples were collected during pre, southwest, northeast, and post monsoon periods. A new ternary plot was also attempted to determine the irrigation suitability of water by considering four essential parameters such as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), permeability index (PI), Sodium percentage (Na %), and electrical conductivity (EC). The derived ternary plot was the most beneficial over other available plots, as it incorporated four parameters, and it differs from the US Salinity Laboratory (USSL) plot, such that the groundwater with higher EC could also be used for irrigation purposes, depending on the Na%. The ternary plot revealed that the groundwater predominantly manifested good to moderate category during post, northeast, and southwest monsoons. The assessment with the amount of fertilizer used during the study period showed that the NPK fertilizers were effectively used for irrigation during monsoon periods. Spatial maps on EC, Kelly's ratio, Mg hazard, Na%, PI, potential salinity (PS), SAR, residual sodium carbonate (RSC), and soluble sodium percentage (SSP) were prepared for each season using fuzzy membership values, integrated for each season. A final suitability map derived by an overlay of all the seasonal outputs has identified that the groundwater in the western and the eastern part of the study area are suitable for agriculture. The study recommends cultivation of groundwater-dependent short-term crops, along the western and northern regions of the study area during the pre-monsoon season.

The Social Economic Aspect in Selecting Priority Commodities in Community Forest Activities at Protected Forest Areas

The implementation of Community Forestry (CF) in protected forest area is not only intended to improve welfare of community living around forest but also restores the function of protected areas. This study aims to figure out the types of priority crops that can be developed in CF area based on legal aspect of the rules in protected forest areas and social economic aspect of community surround forest areas. The research was conducted for 4 months, on February – May 2020 in working areas of Meranti Wana Makmur Forest Farmers Group (Gapoktanhut), Lubuk Bintialo Village, Batanghari Leko District, Musi Banyuasin Regency. The result showed that according to provisions of utilization in protected forest areas, the types of crops which developed in the CF area, were multipurpose crops and based on social aspects 5 (five) types of crops that had grown and produced were Rubber, Jackfruit, Djenkol bean, Petai bean, and Durian was in “Fairly Priority” category. Therefore, based on the economic aspect, there were only 4 (four) multipurpose plant types of “profitable” categories, such as Jackfruit, Djenkol bean, Petai bean, and Durian. The type of short-term crops function as companion crops (intercrops) that was good for cultivation were Corn, Chili, Watermelon, and Melon.

Elucidation and Identification of an Antifungal Compound from Pseudomonas aeruginosa DA3.1 Isolated from Soil in Vietnam

Background: Fusarium sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. fungi have been always threats to short-term crops. In Vietnam, corn and soybean suffer serious losses annually. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize an environmentally friendly antifungal compound that is highly effective against phytopathogenic fungi. Pseudomonas sp. is a popular soil bacterial strain and well known for its high antifungal activity. Objectives: This study was carried out to evaluate and assess the antifungal activity of a local bacterial strain namely DA3.1 that was later identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This would be strong scientific evidence to develop an environmentally friendly biocide from a local microorganism strain for commercial use. Methods: The antifungal compound was purified from ethyl acetate extraction of deproteinized cell culture broth by a silica gel column (CH2Cl2/MeOH (0% - 10% MeOH)). The purity of the isolated compound was determined by HPLC, and its molecular structure was elucidated using spectroscopic experiments including one-dimensional (1D) (1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT) and two-dimensional (2D) (HMBC and HSQC) spectra. The activity of the purified compound against Fusarium sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. fungi was measured using the PDA-disk diffusion method, and its growth-promoting ability was evaluated using the seed germination test of corn and soybean. Results: The results showed that the antifungal compound produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa DA3.1 had a retention factor (Rf) of 0.86 on thin layer chromatography (TLC). Based on the evidence of spectral data including proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), the chemical structure was elucidated as phenazine-1-carboxylic. The purified compound showed inhibitory activity against F. oxysporum and R. solani and exhibited the ability of the germination of corn and soybean seeds. The results revealed the benefit of native P. aeruginosa DA3.1 and phenazine-1-carboxylic acid for use as a biocontrol agent, as well as a plant growth promoter. Conclusions: The antifungal compound isolated from local Pseudomonas DA3.1 was identified as phenazine-1-carboxylic acid that posed high antifungal activity and was a plant germination booster.

COVID‐19 and Food Security in Fiji: The Reinforcement of Subsistence Farming Practices in Rural and Urban Areas

<scp>COVID</scp>‐19 and Food Security in Fiji: The Reinforcement of Subsistence Farming Practices in Rural and Urban Areas

Phytoremediation competence of short-term crops on magnesite mine tailing

The soil pollution emerging from mining action is a major environmental concern, the finding of biological resolution for these disputes is substantial to reduce and recover metal harmfulness and spreading. Hence, this research was designed to appraise the phytoremediation capability of short-term cereal crops on magnesite mine tailing. Many sources reported that it took several months or a year for phytoremediation process. We provided for the first time the removal of metals from mine tailing in a shorter period at 56 days and obtained a huge percentage of removal results states that out of 14 crops, 7 crops such as J. curcas (47.2–72.3%), R. communis (41.7–67.1%), M. uniflorum (42.1–58.4%), O. sativa (35.6–61.5%), V. ungiculata (39.3–67.5%), P. glaucum (37.3–58.9%), and G. hirsutum (45.5–68.2%) removed in the range of 35.6–72.3% from the tailing of magnesite mine. Besides that, this results also alarming us the possibilities of entering these metals into the human and animals through consumption of foods derived from these types of crops cultivated from metal polluted soil.

Ecological and economic efficiency of green manure in crop rotation on irrigated lands in the south of Ukraine

One of the ways to solve the problem of preserving soil fertility is the use of special soil protection measures and scientifically proven technologies. The main measures to increase crop productivity, preserve soil fertility and improve ecological state of the environment are the primary tillage and fertilization systems in modern high-intensity farming systems with scientifically proven methods, techniques, and depth of loosening, as well as doses of mineral and organic fertilizers. The article presents the results of experimental studies of changes in the humus reserves in the arable layer of the soil under the influence of longterm use of differentiated systems of primary tillage, in which different methods and depth of the primary tillage alternate during crop rotation, different depth (23–25 cm and 28–30 cm) subsurface chisel tillage, single-depth shallow (12–14 cm) disk and zero tillage, against the background of the fertilizer system using post-harvest green manure. The research was conducted during 2015–2019 on the irrigated lands of the Askaniya State Agricultural Research Station of the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture of NAAS, in the area of the Kakhovka irrigation system, in a fourfield row crop rotation with successive crop rotation of the following: soybean, winter wheat + mustard (postharvest for green manure), corn for grain, winter barley + mustard (postharvest for green manure). The soil of the experimental field is dark chestnut, slightly saline, medium loamy. Based on data from field, laboratory and analytical studies, it is established that in short-term row crops rotation on irrigated lands of southern Ukraine an effective measure to increase the fertility of dark chestnut soils is organic-mineral fertilizer systems with a mineral fertilizer dose of N120P40 (per hectare of crop rotation area), the use of spring mustard as fertilizer in post-harvest crops as well as the use of all by-products of crop rotation. Differentiated and different-depth subsurface systems of primary tillage against the background of organicmineral fertilization system provide productivity of short-term crop rotation at the level of 7.77 and 8.09 t/ha of grain units respectively, increase of humus by 1.25 and 1.33 t/ha, and total ecological economic efficiency of crop rotation operation by 61.50 and 64.63 thousand UAH/ha.

Laboratory study of the nutrient release rate for vinasse on sandy soil and three coastal clay soils of Guyana

Purpose Vinasse is produced in large quantities as a by-product from bioethanol production. To ensure environmental sustainability, a beneficial use was sought. Previous study showed that short-term crops grown with vinasse-amended soil provided higher yield than crops treated with chemical NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer. To understand this phenomenon, this study sought to establish the nutrient release rates of vinasse in the agricultural soils of Guyana. Methods Soils representative of the three most common and one futuristic agricultural land in Guyana were fertilized with vinasse, then watered as with normal course of plant growth of cash-crops for twelve weeks. The soil was sampled periodically, and the soil nutrients were determined. Results The nutrient availability from the application of vinasse as a soil amendment was greater for the clay soils than the sandy soil. EC was high while there was high availability of N, Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn during the 6-12th week. There was no discernable trend for tiwiwid sand. Conclusion In this laboratory study, high nutrient availability was observed in weeks 6-12 for the three clay soils studied. This period is the fruit and foliage growth phase for most short-term crops; hence, this suggests that vinasse is a good soil amendment for short-term crops in these soils. Vinasse did not improve the fertility of sandy soils; hence, it would be unsuitable as a fertilizer source in the Intermediate Savannahs of Guyana. Further studies should be done to fully determine the soil nutrient dynamics and the nutrient uptake.

Land Improvement Solutions: Afforestation and Planting Fruit Trees and Short-Term Crops after Mine Closure in Luong Son District, Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam

Luong Son is a district to the east gateway of Hoa Binh province, adjacent to Hanoi the capital and the northwest of Vietnam. Against the background of the rapidly expanding natural resources exploitation, a lack of experience in the general management of resources is obvious. The problem of serious environmental pollution occurs due to the increase of mining activities. This is especially true in mining areas located near fast-growing urban areas. In particular, after the end of the exploitation and mine closure, there is a need to improve and recover the environmental conditions in order to protect untapped mineral reserves and to keep the exploitation site in a sustainable status. This includes questions of environmental safety and soil recovery within the affected areas. This article deals with 2 types of land improvement and restoration in Luong Son district: (1) designing a method for land improvement by afforestation and (2) designing a method for land improvement by planting fruit trees and short-term crops.

Influence of Intercropping System in Unmatured Agarwood Plantation

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of intercropping system between short-term crops and karas trees on the growth of karas trees and the side income made by the karas planters after implementing the intercropping system. There were four treatment groups implemented in this study which include monoculture of karas(control), karas with chilli (T1), karas with okra(T2) and karas with corn (T3). The karas tree growth parameters measured were height (cm), circumference (cm) and leaves count. The production yield of selected short-term crops was weighed in kilogram and the net profit analysis was made based on the market price of chilli, corn and okra. The data collection for the growth of karas tree was done ‘before’ and ‘during’ the plantation of short-term cropsin the study site as well as ‘after’ the short-term crops were removed from the study site.Data analysis showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) on the tree circumference after okra and chilliwere removed from the study plotswhen compared to the control group. Besides, chilliwas recorded with the highest net profit of RM 1857.60. Therefore, the intercropping of karas tree with short-term crops can generate profitable side income to karas planters and these intercropping practices are proven to have no negative impact on the growth ofkaras trees in the study site.