Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) may be harmlessly intercropped with Urochloa species during the off-season in the Brazilian Cerrado. At the end of the sorghum cycle, forages can be used for straw production for soybean (Glycine max L.) as the summer crop. This study aimed to evaluate sorghum cultivated during the off-season, intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. ‘Marandu’ (Hochst. ex A. Rich). R. D. Webster) and Congo grass (Urochloa ruziziensis (R. Germ. and Evrard) Crins) in two row spacings (0.5 and 0.7 m) for their effect on plant growth, dry mass production, sorghum yield and soybean grain yield. The experiment was a randomized block design: a 3 × 2 factorial scheme, with three levels of intercropping (palisade grass, Congo grass or sole cropping) and two levels of row spacing (0.5 or 0.7 m) with four replicates. Several physiological growth indexes were estimated from 10 to 60 days after emergence (DAE), including dry matter production and sorghum agronomic performance. Sorghum accumulated 0.22 g of dry matter d−1 at 10 to 60 DAE, and was not affected by intercropping. The dry mass gain of forages (0.04 g d−1 on average) was not affected by sorghum either. Higher sorghum grain yield (2,922 kg ha−1) was observed under the 0.5-m row spacing when compared to the 0.7-m spacing. The results indicate that palisade or Congo grass may be used as companion crops for sorghum with no grain yield loss, be it to improve soybean grain yield, soil cover or integrated crop systems, aiming at sustainable intensification.
Highlights
Intercropping crops and pasture systems have been widely recommended for the Cerrado region in Central Brazil, as an alternative to problems caused by monoculture based on soybean (Glycine max L.), especially for improving soil quality (Crusciol et al, 2015), and nutrient efficiency use (Eberhardt et al, 2021)
This study aimed to evaluate sorghum cultivated during the off-season, intercropped with palisade grass
The results indicate that palisade or Congo grass may be used as companion crops for sorghum with no grain yield loss, be it to improve soybean grain yield, soil cover or integrated crop systems, aiming at sustainable intensification
Summary
Intercropping crops and pasture systems have been widely recommended for the Cerrado region in Central Brazil, as an alternative to problems caused by monoculture based on soybean (Glycine max L.), especially for improving soil quality (Crusciol et al, 2015), and nutrient efficiency use (Eberhardt et al, 2021). In this context, it is essential to understand the behavior of the intercropped species, especially when using sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) with Urochloa, for there is no consensus on their development under off-season intercroppings in the Cerrado. Best crop practices, such as selection of forage species and row spacing, are still necessary to optimize intercropping systems
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