Soil quality under rubber-based agroforestry systems in Agusan del Sur, Philippines

The escalation of rubber plantations has resulted in substantial ecological and environmental consequences. In the Caraga region, rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) is identified as an important production system where farming management varies, yet could potentially contribute to the soil quality decline. This study focuses on determining the soil quality index (SQI) of various rubber-based agroforestry systems (RBAS) in Talacogon and Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur. It maximizes the Shiny App package in RStudio for analyzing data, specifically for SQI calculation, PCA, dbRDA, and ANOVA, using reliable references. Findings show that both sites are unique pedologically; thus, they were treated separately. It was determined through distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) that variations among factors such as land use management and soil inherent properties were distinct. Across RBAS in TC, Rubber + Falcata (RF) showed the highest SQI (Q4), whereas Rubber + Cacao (RC) showed the highest SQI in SJ. Meanwhile, monocultivation in both sites has exhibited Q4: Poor SQI. Promoting agroforestry offers resource complementarity and the potential for maintaining good soil quality. It provides a more secure and sustainable management strategy for rubber cultivation. Consequently, the utilization of site-specific SQI in various RBAS has led to the development of tailored fit farming practices for tropical soils. The tool may help identify a suitable companion crop for rubber that minimizes the distressing occurrence of soil degradation.