Improving Soil Health of Commercial Vegetable Home Gardens through Conservation Agriculture in Cambodia

Tillage systems are components of broad agricultural practices that affect soil properties and soil health. These changes include soil respiration, density, moisture, and pH. Conservation agriculture practices have the potential to improve soil health by reducing tillage. In agricultural production, there can be numerous approaches to achieving consistently high yields annually; however, this study specifically looked at conventional tillage and conservation agriculture systems. This study aimed to determine soil fauna biodiversity and soil health under conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage (CT) management practices of vegetable production in Cambodia. Five CA and five CT plots were selected and included in this study. Fifty soil samples were collected from CA and CT plots for soil fauna measurement, and in-situ tests were made using Biofunctool© for soil health assessment. The results showed that the abundance of soil fauna and aggregation stability were greater in CA than in CT. Soil fauna biodiversity enhancement may provide better soil health for soil improvement by adapting farming management practices

Wild World of Wild Food Plants in Cambodia: The Utilization, Challenges, and Opportunities to Scaling up the Use of Wild Food Plants

Underexploited wild food plant (WFP) species have a high potential to contribute to nutritional and/or medicinal health, generate income, and sustain the environment. The objective of this study was to identify market-available WFP species and characterize their beneficial use and economic values in northwestern Cambodia. Two hundred seventy-five (275) retailers in Battambang and Siem Reap were interviewed to collect data on wild food plant species availability and their values. Thirty-four (34) plant species were identified as WFP species, including annual and perennial herbs, perennial shrubs, vines, and trees. Leave, shoots, stems, rhizomes, corms, flowers, and fruits were the parts of the plant used for cooked dishes. Most of the parts used (92.4%) were collected from the wild, while 7.6% were reported as cultivated. The plant species are high in vitamin A, C, a good source of minerals, and can be used as traditional medicine. To enhance health and alleviate the ‘hidden hunger’ of micronutrient malnutrition, Cambodia should promote the production and dietary incorporation of wild food plants rich in minerals and vitamins