Soybean growth and yield after single tillage and species mixture of cover plants

Gislaine Piccolo De Lima,Lúcia Helena Pereira Nóbrega,Adriana Smanhotto,Márcia Maria Mauli,Danielle Medina Rosa

doi:10.1590/s0034-737x2012000500016

Gislaine Piccolo De Lima, Lúcia Helena Pereira Nóbrega + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0034-737x2012000500016

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Abstract

The use of cover crops is important for the agricultural crop and soil management in order to improve the system and, consequently, to increase yield. Therefore, the present study analyzed the effect of crop residues of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) (BO) and a cocktail (CO) of BO, forage turnip (Raphanus sativus L.) (FT) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) (V) on the emergence speed index (ESI), seedling emergence speed (SES) plant height and soybean yield in different intervals between cover crop desiccation with glyphosate 480 (3 L ha-1) and BRS 232 cultivar sowing. Plots of 5 x 2.5 m with 1 m of border received four treatments with BO cover crops and four with CO as well as a control for each cover crop, at random, with five replications. The plots were desiccated in intervals of 1, 10, 20 and 30 days before soybean seeding. The harvest was manual while yield was adjusted to 13% of moisture content. The experimental design was completely randomized with splitplots and means compared by the Scott and Knott test at 5% of significance. The results showed that CO of cover crops can be recommended for soybean to obtain a more vigorous seedling emergence, from 10 days after cover crop desiccation.

Highlights

IntroductionThe mulching process is an ecological and economic alternative for soil management, bringing balance to the chemical, physical and biological properties that compose the soil-plant system (Rufato et al, 2006)
Highest efficiency, with improvements on the productive capacity of the soil requires planning for the crops to be grown, considering speciesof high biomass production with potential for soil mulching, cultivated either in the cocktail or single form, with commercial crops (Embrapa, 2004).The mulching process is an ecological and economic alternative for soil management, bringing balance to the chemical, physical and biological properties that compose the soil-plant system (Rufato et al, 2006)
The highest emergence speed index (ESI) was recorded for the treatment with the mulch cocktail, indicating that it was beneficial to the ESI of the soybean crop (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The mulching process is an ecological and economic alternative for soil management, bringing balance to the chemical, physical and biological properties that compose the soil-plant system (Rufato et al, 2006). With the expansion of soybean crop, the no-tillage system and the establishment of winter crops for soil mulching are techniques that emphasize the recovery and improvement of productivity (Silva et al, 1997). The success of this system depends on the interval existent between the mulch desiccation and the sowing (Timossi et al, 2005). Leaf chlorosis and decrease in plant development (which can affect productivity) have been commonly observed in areas covered with a great mass of mulches, where the seed sowing is carried in intervals very near to the desiccation (Constantin & Oliveira, 2005). The choice and the correct management are determinant in the formation and recovery of the mulch and the resulting benefits (Pires et al, 2008)

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