Survival and growth of rattan intercropped with coffee and cacao in the agroforests of Indonesia

This study investigated the intercropping of rattan, an important non-timber forest product, in coffee and cacao agroforests in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The viability of producing seedlings from seeds and vegetative cuttings with the large-diameter rattan, Calamus zollingeri Beccari, and initial seedling survival, growth and response to light and soil drainage were investigated in village nurseries and perennial farms. Over 96% of seeds and 61% of vegetative cuttings were raised to transplanting size (25 cm with two to three leaves) over 20 months. One hundred C. zollingeri seedlings produced from cuttings were transplanted into each of three coffee or cacao farms and one primary forest site and exhibited an overall survival rate of 96%, 12.7 cm of height growth and the production of 0.8 new leaves per plant after eight months. No significant differences were observed between the four sites with respect to seedling survival, growth, or leaf production and no significant differences were found between seedling survival, growth or leaf production and light intensity (based on multiple PAR measurements). However, poorly drained sites exhibited significantly reduced C. zollingeri seedling survival and growth. The cultivation of C. zollingeri rattan in coffee and cacao agroforests represents a potential means of intensifying and diversifying perennial cash crop farming systems.