Abstract
This work aimed to evaluate the dynamics of physical and hydric attributes of a clayey Latosol cultivated with different cover species. The experimental area was located in the Agronomic Institute of Paraná (IAPAR), in the regional hub of Santa Tereza do Oeste, Paraná, Brazil. The experiment was comprised of seven cover species also called treatments is the course of this work. Three of them were isolated summer species notably Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea), and the other four treatments winter species cultivated individually or in association including Avena strigosa (Black oat), + (Avena stirgosa + Raphamus sativus (radish), Avena strigosa + Lupinus albus (Lupin bean), and (Avena strigosa + Pisum sativum (pea). The treatments were distributed on a completely random plots of 20 m × 25 m without replication. Soil density, macroporosity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured to follow the changes of the soil structure. Statistical analyses showed that cover crops species did not lead to a significant improvement in soil structural status. Soil density varied between 1.08 and 1.12 Mg m-3, macroporosity from 15.22 and 16.90%, and saturated hydraulic conductivity ranged from 28.83 to 45.07 mm h-1. Soybean grain yield were considered satisfactory in 2016 (mean = 1909.68 kg ha-1) and in 2017 (mean = 3355.30 kg ha-1) most probably due to the good initial structural conditions of the soil, alongside with the good climatic conditions during the two campaigns. Furthermore, the soybean grain yield was positively influenced by Ds which ranged from 1.0 to 1.17 Mg m-3.
Highlights
The soil is one of the most important resources on our planet, and its conservation has been an aspect of great relevance for a more sustainable production
The purpose of this work was to evaluate the changes in the physical and hydric attributes of oxisols in Paraná resulting from cultivations of different cover crops, and the effects of these changes on soybean grain yields
The soil was not tilled and the 7 soil covering species used consisted of three summer species in isolation viz: Crotalaria juncea (Crotalaria juncea), Crotalaria spectabilis (Crotalaria spectabilis), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), and four winter species cultivated individually or in association including (i) Black oat (Avena strigosa), (ii) Black oat + radish (Avena stirgosa + Raphamus sativus), (iii) Black oat + Lupin bean (Avena strigosa + Lupinus albus), and (iv) Black oat + pea (Avena strigosa + Pisum sativum)
Summary
The soil is one of the most important resources on our planet, and its conservation has been an aspect of great relevance for a more sustainable production. The aim of sustainable development is to combine production with conservation of natural resources such as water and soil, through adoption of conservationist practices, among which the cultivation cover crops (Stone & Silveira, 2001) is noteworthy cover crops play a key role in the recovery or maintenance of the soil physical qualities, providing positive effects such as suppression of spontaneous plants limiting the demand for water, soil moisture conservation, nutrient cycling, and erosion control (Doneda, 2010). The knowledge and understanding of the effects of certain cover crops on a possible improvement of soil physical properties, such as porosity and density, is of great importance in the search for the sustainability of agriculture. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the changes in the physical and hydric attributes of oxisols in Paraná resulting from cultivations of different cover crops, and the effects of these changes on soybean grain yields
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