Abstract
Regional reviews of the lowland rainfed rice ecosystems of Asia often lump Laos, Cambodia and northeast Thailand together on the basis of similarities in their agro-ecosystems. Significant overlap in soil characteristics may facilitate the exchange of research information among these countries to their mutual advantage especially in an environment where none can maintain an elaborate research programme for rainfed lowland rice. However, there has been little critical assessment of the similarities and differences amongst the lowland rainfed rice soils of Laos, Cambodia and northeast Thailand and their response to soil management technologies. The purpose of this paper will be to critically review the published literature on soil properties and their spatial distribution, the main soil related constraints identified for lowland rainfed rice in Laos, Cambodia and northeast Thailand, and the similarities and differences in soil management technologies found to be effective. Areas of common strategic interest for research on soil management technologies will be identified and discussed.