lntercropping with short harvest plants
is a good choice in rubber plantation from
start growing until the fourth year of
planting. Covering plantation area by
growing legumes is an alternative way to
minimized surface soil loss, maintain soil
moisture and increase soil fertility. Because
of nitrogen fixation by rhizobium that infect
the legume root, it can be reduced nitrogen
fertilizer rate as fertilizer recommendation in
Malaysia shown in Table 6. (17) Moreover,
large amount of legume biomass is finally
accumulated to the soil, and resulted in soil
organic matter increased. ln addition,
rubber plantation and inter row with legume
can be omitted fertilizer application for two
years before tapping