Abstract
ABSTRACT The introduction of new crops in northeastern Brazil, associated with the use of the green manure, can become an alternative for family farmers. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine the effect of green manuring with M. aegyptia L. on the agro-economic efficiency of radish production. The experimental design was a randomised complete block with four treatments and five replicates; the treatments were composed of four doses of M. aegyptia (20, 35, 50 and 65 t ha-1 on a dry basis) incorporated into the soil in three cropping periods. In radish plants, we evaluated plant height, fresh and dry mass of shoots, total and commercial productivity of roots, productivity of scrap roots, dry mass of roots and root diameter. The economic indicators gross income, net income, rate of return and profit margin were used to evaluate the agro-economic efficiency of the system. The maximum agronomic efficiency was reached with a commercial root productivity of 7.86 t ha-1 and the addition of 49.29 t ha-1 of green manure. The maximum economic efficiency was obtained with a net income of 11,955.46 R$ ha-1 when a green manure dose of 46.00 t ha-1 was added. The use of M. aegyptia as green manure is economically viable in the production of radish in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil.
Highlights
Radish is a tuberous vegetable and rich in minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, with high levels of vitamins C and A
We evaluated the effect of green manuring with M. aegyptia on the agro-economic efficiency of radish production in the semi-arid region of northeast Brazil
Maximum agronomic efficiency was reached with a commercial root productivity of 7.86 t ha-1, when green manure was added at a dose of 49.29 t ha-1
Summary
Radish is a tuberous vegetable and rich in minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, with high levels of vitamins C and A. This crop demands a low level of soil fertility, green manuring positively impacts its development and productivity (SILVA et al, 2016). The practice of green manuring can contribute to meeting the nutritional needs of the crop. It preserves, restores and increases the amount of organic matter and the soil nutrient contents (BATISTA et al, 2016), favouring the sustainable use of physical, chemical and biological factors. The green manure collecting stage plays an important role, especially if peak nitrogen accumulation is reached by the bloom stage in some species
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