Erosion control on a steep sloped coffee field in Indonesia with alley cropping, intercropped vegetables, and no-tillage

In a hilly area in Lampung State, the southern end of Sumatra Island in Indonesia, coffee is commonly cultivated on hillsides with steep slopes and soil erosion affects sustainable coffee production. A field experiment on coffee cultivation was conducted for 4 years to evaluate the effects of alley cropping and no-tillage on the seed production of coffee and on erosion control in a steep slope area in this region. The cultivation of intercropped vegetables, red peppers, tomatoes, and long beans was introduced into the coffee fields when the coffee plants were small. No significant differences in the yields of either the coffee plants or the intercropped vegetables were noted among the treatments. Coffee shoot fresh weight, however, was slightly increased by no-tillage treatment. Soil erosion was reduced by 37% as a result of no tillage and by 64% with alley cropping. The amount of soil erosion for local farmers practice, tillage & no-alley, was more than four times that in no-tillage and alley treatment. These results indicate that alley cropping and no-tillage are effective for erosion control on coffee fields on steep slopes and that yield is not affected by these practices. The introduction of intercropped vegetables is beneficial in terms of farm economy, especially when the income from coffee cultivation is limited.