Cobertura do solo em sistema de semeadura direta em Fênix (PR.)

Abstract

In the northwestern region of Paraná most crop rotations used basically consists of soybeans / out-of-season corn or corn on normal season/ out-of-season maize, being found insufficient for the production of straw to the sustainability of tillage system. Intercropping corn with cover crops in two environmental conditions in autumn-winter (second season) and spring-summer (season), may be an option to increase quantity and quality mulch keeping the soil covered with living plants or killed after the corn harvest, enabling the system direct sowing in regions with limited persistence of straw. This work aimed at the achievement of three experiments, with the aim of testing different species of green manure intercropped with maize environments in autumn-winter (off-season - experiment I) and spring-summer (harvest - experiment II) for dry matter production and soil cover, and to evaluate the persistence of the straw of the major species in the consortia and succession of crops grown in the region of the Phoenix (PR) (experiment III). The experiments were conducted in rural areas and the city of Phoenix (PR) in a soil classified as Eutroferric Red Nitosol clayey, from March 2009 to February 2010. The first experiment was conducted in three areas with different historical succession of crops occurs in the region, with 10 species of cover crops. In experiment II was evaluated nine cover crops that were sown intercropped with maize at two sowing dates, or is, simultaneously planted or when it stood at the V4 stage of culture. As for experiment III, we tested the persistence of residues of 11 plant species using bags of decomposition, also known as "litter bags." Crop rotation practiced in the region for soybean and corn in rotation with summer corn (crop) despite increasing straw in the No-Tillage System reduces the productivity of winter maize. The corn and cover crops option is to increase the supply of straw in the tillage without compromising the yield. In autumn-winter period has the option black oat, vetch and white oat. As for the spring will see the consortium with the simultaneously planted between species of corn and cover crops are better options: labe-labe, Crotalaria spectabilis, Brachiaria brizantha, B. ruziziensis, pigeon peas, jack-beans that is independent of sowing time. But the velvet bean simultaneously planted with maize reduced the grain yield. As ground cover that show greater persistence of straw were the species of wheat, corn and Brachiaria ruziziensis.