Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the dry matter (DM) yield and nutrient accumulation in cover crops and the effect of these, as well as mechanical management of crop residues on growth and grain yield of crambe ( Crambe abyssinica ). The experiment was conducted in Santa Helena, Parana, Brazil in Rhodic Hapludox (Red Latosol in the Brazilian classification) in experimental design of randomized complete blocks with four replications in a split-plot. The plots were: Pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ), grass brachiaria ( Brachiaria brizantha ), forage sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) and sunn hemp ( Crotalaria juncea ) and an area fallow (spontaneous weed) and the sub-plots, the mechanical or not management of crop residues on the soil surface (Triton © ). Grass brachiaria produced less amount of DM and showed less accumulation of nutrients. Other cover crops did not differ in DM production, but the sunn hemp showed the highest concentrations of N and Ca, while pearl millet P. The mechanical management of crop residues on the soil surface not influence the yield components of crambe, however provides higher final plant density. The crambe grown after sunn hemp showed higher DM accumulation (1,826 kg ha – 1 ) and grain yield (1,066 kg ha – 1 ).
Highlights
Nowadays, there is great demand for oilseed species for use as a feedstock for biodiesel, mainly producing species of grains that are not used as a food source, so that does not compete with the food sector focused crops
Dry matter production of forage sorghum, pearl millet and sunn hemp was higher than for grass brachiaria (Table 1). This occurred because the grass brachiaria, unlike of other crops, be a perennial forage species, and at 80 days after emergence the crop was not at the stage of maximum dry matter (DM) accumulation, as reported by Pacheco et al (2011) for species of the genus Brachiaria sp
The DM yield of forage sorghum observed by Barbosa et al (2011), Carvalho et al (2011), and Ferreira et al (2011) were lower than this study, respectively of 6,435, 6,630 and 9,560 kg ha–1
Summary
There is great demand for oilseed species for use as a feedstock for biodiesel, mainly producing species of grains that are not used as a food source, so that does not compete with the food sector focused crops For the crambe develops perfectly in tropical soils starting from no-till , the maintenance of vegetation cover on the soil is essential as well as the rotation with antecedent species that contribute to the nutritional supplementation of culture. In this context, the use of cover crops search systems enable agricultural production using crop residues for subsequent species. It is necessary to introduce alternative plants with the potential of producing high amounts of MS, so that the soil remains covered by longer (CRUSCIOL et al, 2012)
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