A Review of Challenge and Prospect of No-Tillage Practice to Sustain Spices Cropping Systems in North Maluku

DOI

10.2991/aer.k.200325.001How to use a DOI?

Keywords

islands-based tropical spices cropping systems, natural disease suppression, no-tillage, soil compaction

Abstract

No-tillage or zero-tillage has been adopted for years by local farmers to sustain islands-based tropical spices cropping systems across the North Maluku region. Various studies in other parts of the world have proven a remarkable effect of this practice on soil health indicated by the enhancement of soil aggregate stability and increased water infiltration. No-tillage practice, however, with the removal of plant residue might cause an increase in soil compaction. In addition, the status of soil health is not only determined by soil management factors but is also influenced by climatic factors. In tropical region, high rainfall and season fluctuation in climate may deteriorate soil health as a result of the formation of soil compaction in no-tillage soils. Soil compaction occurs due to the rapid decomposition rate of soil organic matter triggered by wetting and drying oscillation process. It is hypothesized that an increase in the level of soil compaction may potentially disturb soil health indicated by the decline in natural capacity of a soil to suppress soil-borne disease. This paper, therefore, explores how a no-tillage practice can induce soil compaction. It will also describe the mechanism of the effects of soil compaction on the reduction in soil capacity to naturally suppress soil-borne disease, which might be able to influence the sustainability of small islands-based tropical agricultural systems in North Maluku.

Copyright

© 2020, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Lily Ishak
AU  - Sarni
AU  - Erwin Ladjinga
AU  - Ramli Hadun
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/03/30
TI  - A Review of Challenge and Prospect of No-Tillage Practice to Sustain Spices Cropping Systems in North Maluku
BT  - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANRes 2019)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/aer.k.200325.001
DO  - 10.2991/aer.k.200325.001
ID  - Ishak2020
ER  -