Summary
This study applies a chronosequence approach to assess how soil health and the soil microbiome change over time in cocoa systems managed under regenerative agriculture principles. A composite soil health index is developed and tested alongside microbiome characterisation, offering a multi-dimensional assessment of soil condition trajectory. The paper contributes methodological insight into how composite indices can track regenerative transition in tropical perennial crop systems.
UK applicability
Cocoa is not grown commercially in the UK, so direct agronomic applicability is limited; however, the methodological framework for composite soil health indexing and microbiome assessment is broadly relevant to UK researchers and policymakers developing soil health monitoring tools for other regeneratively managed systems.
Key measures
Composite soil health index (aggregated score); soil microbial community composition and diversity (likely 16S rRNA / ITS sequencing); potentially soil organic matter, bulk density, nutrient availability, and biological activity metrics
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated a composite soil health index and characterised soil microbiome composition across cocoa plots of varying duration under regenerative management. It likely reports changes in soil biological, chemical, and physical health indicators as a function of time since transition to regenerative practices.
Topic tags
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