Soybean Yields and Biomass Production of Winter Cover Crops in the Southwest of Parana – Brazil

Mauricio Antonio Pereira,Sideney Becker Onofre,Ademir Calegari,Ricardo Ralisch,Amarildo Antonio Tessaro

doi:10.5539/jsd.v12n5p40

Abstract

The use of winter cover crops is an important practice for the management and conservation of soil and water in southern Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the accumulation of green mass and dry mass in the aerial part of winter cover crops in monocropping and intercropping in southwestern Paran&aacute;, in the years 2016 and 2017. Randomized blocks were used as experimental design with a subdivided plot scheme of 50 m&sup2; with five replications. The cover crops used in monocropping were black oats and wheat, while for the intercropping black oats + turnips + rye + white lupin (AP+NF+C+TB), black oats + turnips (AP+NF) and black oats + turnips + rye + vetches + white lupin + buckwheat (AP+NF+C+E+TB+TM) were used. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5 % probability. The intercrop composed of black oats + turnips + rye + vetches + white lupin + buckwheat had a higher production of green mass, with an average value of 50.880 kg ha-1. For the production of dry mass, the monocrop of black oats had higher yields, with an average value of 5.168 kg ha-1. The highest yields were obtained in the coverage area with black oats, turnips, rye, vetches, white lupin and buckwheat, presenting a yield in 2017 of 4.487 kg ha-1.

Highlights

Cover crops are plants that have the purpose of protecting the soil against erosion and the leaching of nutrients
According to Calegari and Donizeti, (2014), in the south of Brazil the use of winter cover crops is facilitated by the climatic conditions, the cultivation systems and by the fact that during this period of the year, less area is occupied by crops of economic interest
The tria was conducted in the agricultural years of 2016 and 2017 in an experimental area located in the municipality of São Jorge do Oeste – Paraná, Brazil

Summary

Introduction

Cover crops are plants that have the purpose of protecting the soil against erosion and the leaching of nutrients. Their use is widespread since the introduction and consolidation of no-tillage systems (NTS). The authors further state that cover crops can be grown alone or by intercropping with several species, with the use of intercropping being recommended as a solution because of the benefits of growing several plants at the same time. The intercropping of plant species promotes the formation of a soil coverage that is closer to the ideal regarding the quantity and the quality of the residues, which will bring benefits to the following crops and the NTS (Calegari & Donizetti, 2014; Pierri et al, 2016)

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Results