Abstract
ABSTRACT Intensive conventional tillage cultivation of both green and sweet corn can contribute to soil degradation when compared to no-till systems. This study aimed to assess the agronomic characteristics and physicochemical quality of green and sweet corn grains grown under succession planting using different cover crops. Two experiments were conducted, one with green corn and the other sweet corn, using a randomized block design consisting of seven treatments: brachiaria (B); Pearl millet (PM); showy crotalaria (SC); SC+B; PM+B; PM+SC and PM+SC+B, with four repetitions. The fresh (FW) and dry weight (DW) of the cover crops and decomposition of their residue were assessed, in addition to the agronomic performance and bromatological quality of green and sweet corn grains. Brachiaria showed the lowest FW and DW production, highest residue decomposition rate and shortest half-life when compared to the other soil covers assessed. Productivity and yield for sweet corn grains and green corn ears were not statistically affected by the different cover crop residues. The cover crop residues influenced moisture content, total titratable acidity and total soluble solids in green corn, and lipids, proteins, total soluble solids, pH and ascorbic acid in sweet corn.
Highlights
O cultivo intensivo de forma convencional, tanto do milho verde quanto do milho doce pode contribuir para a degradação do solo, quando comparado aos cultivos em sistemas de plantio direto
Analysis of FW and dry weight (DW) demonstrated that all the cover crops studied exhibited similar production, except brachiaria, which obtained lower values (Table 1)
These results can be explained by the good rainfall distribution during the study period and soil fertility in the area, providing suitable soil and climate conditions for plant development and producing high FW and DW values
Summary
O cultivo intensivo de forma convencional, tanto do milho verde quanto do milho doce pode contribuir para a degradação do solo, quando comparado aos cultivos em sistemas de plantio direto. -called specialty corn varieties (popcorn, green, sweet and baby corn) derive from a common ancestor and are gaining ground among Brazilian growers because they attract different markets when compared to common maize. Green and sweet corn are harvested at approximately 90 days after planting date (DAP) in summer and 100 DAP in winter, at 70 to 80% moisture content, before the sugars are fully converted into starch, and are considered vegetables (Luz et al, 2014) At this stage, green corn contains approximately 3% sugar and 60 to 70% starch and sweet corn 9 to 14% sugar and 30 to 35% starch, with protein content varying from 6 to 12% in both varieties (Pereira Filho et al, 2018). To improve the physical quality of soil, plant residues left on the surface improve soil fertility and biological activity (Torres et al, 2019)
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