Dinâmica de plantas espontâneas e desempenho de milho em sucessão a adubos verdes, sob manejo orgânico.

Abstract

In organic farming, green manuring and mulching are recommended to maintain or recuperate soil fertility and promote nutrients cycling, besides manage weeds population. Weeds can cause damages to economic crops by competition for water, light and nutrients in cultivated areas. This work aimed to evaluate maize yield and weeds population after green manures cultivation. The experiment was conducted in an Ultisol, placed at Integrated System of Agroecological Production, in Seropédica, RJ, from October 2014 to June 2015. The experimental design was of randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications. The treatments involved previous cultivation with sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea), jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), velvet bean (Mucuna aterrima), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and fallow. The green manures were sowed in October, being cultivated during 113 days after sowing. After that, they were cut. Five days after the cut and deposition of the green manures residues in the soil surface, it was sowed maize var. Caatingueiro, adopting spacing of 1,0 m between lines and density of five seeds per linear meter, with a population of 50.000 plants per hectare. Weeds population was evaluated at 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after maize sowing, collecting samples of weeds for identification and quantification of species, and dry biomass production. The obtained data were used for determining of phytosocial indexes. Dry biomass of green manures was greater for the treatments sunnhemp and sorghum. On the other hand, dry biomass of weeds was greater in the treatment velvet bean. Yield of maize without straw; yield of shoot biomass; diameter, length and N contents in grains and shoot did not show significant differences between treatments. Weeds population compositions is influenced by the soil cover crops. The use of sorghum was efficient regarding to biomass production and weeds control. Sunnhemp and sorghum produced biomass values above the recommended amounts for no-tillage system.