Cover crops at soybean agronomic performance in the western region of Paraná state, Brazil

Abstract

Soybean crop is one of the main activities of Brazilian agribusiness, grown in practically all regions of the country. Even though it is of fundamental importance, the no-till system is fully adopted in a few situations. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the agronomic performance of soybean under no-till, with cultivation in succession of cover crops in two growing seasons. The experiment was conducted in Palotina, Paraná state, Brazil. This was a randomized block experimental design, with four replicates. The treatments consisted of seven cover crops: forage turnip, linseed, triticale, rye, canola, crambe, oats and fallow area. In succession, the soybean was planted. The variables, plant height, first pod height, number of pods per plant, 100 grain weight, and grain yield were not influenced by cover crops. Although cover crops did not have a marked influence on agronomic performance, crop assessments are required to investigate other effects from cover crops. It is very important to design systems to achieve sustainability in soybean crop. Cover crops can play a key role in this regard, where we have several species that can be used in the recovery of degraded soils and with the potential for their economic exploitation.