Abstract
Integrated oil palm-cattle systems are increasingly promoted for their potential to enhance nutrient cycling, yet empirical evidence on how grazing intensity influences soil chemical properties under commercial plantation conditions remains limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cattle grazing intensity on total nitrogen (N), available phosphorus Phosphorus (P
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), and soil pH in an integrated oil palm plantation in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Grazing blocks (15 ha equal to half plantation block) under five grazing types were sampled across block regions (watering area, center, and edge) and zones (harvesting path, interrow, and tree base). Soil chemical properties were measured in the upper soil layer and analyzed using linear mixed-effects models accounting for grazing type, region and zone. Total N differed significantly among plantation regions and zones, with higher concentrations in the center region and interrow zone. Available P
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and pH also showed clear zone-level patterns, with higher P
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and slightly higher pH in the interrow and tree base compared with the harvesting path, reflecting spatially targeted fertilizer application in these two zones and stacking of fronds in the interrow. In contrast, neither N, P
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nor pH differed significantly across grazing types, indicating limited short-term influence of cattle presence on soil chemical properties. Soil chemical variation was more strongly governed by plantation management and spatial position than by grazing intensity. In conclusion, cattle grazing intensity does not substantially alter soil N, P, or pH in commercial oil palm plantations within the observed time frame, whereas management-driven fertilizer application plays a dominant role in shaping soil chemical patterns in integrated systems.