Sistemas de preparo do solo, plantas de cobertura e produtividade do milho

Abstract

The compaction of soils with high clay content is a limiting factor for the productivity of crops of economic interest, such as maize, so that the soil management system directly influences its degradation process. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of soil preparation systems and cover crops on biomass production, soil cover and corn yield. The experiment was conducted in the experimental area of the Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Dois Vizinhos campus, on Red Latosol, with five soil tillage systems and four vegetal coverings, implanted in winter, preceding corn as main crop, implanted in the Month of September. Soil preparation systems were: i) Direct planting (PD), ii) Scarified direct planting at the implantation of the experiment (PDEi), iii) Direct planting scarified annually PDEa, using a conventional jumbo scarifier, iv) In the implantation of the experiment (PDPMi) and v) Direct planting under annual minimum tillage (PDPMa), using Terrus scarifier. The evaluated cultures were: 1) Oats, 2) Ervillaceae, 3) Forage turnip and 4) consortium oats + ervillaceae + turnip. The evaluations carried out in the cover plants were soil cover rate (30 and 60 days after sowing of the cover plants), dry matter (MS) at full flowering stage. The MS production and crop productivity were evaluated in the corn crop. For the coverage rate, no-tillage efficiency was higher, and at 60 days it had 97.3% of the soil covered by straw and cover plants. The higher coverage and production of MS of cover crops were observed in the consortium and in black oats. The MS production of maize was not different between the treatments (mean of 13.4 Mg.ha-1), the PD had about 2.5 Mg.ha-1 more grain production than the treatments with preparations To two years (PDPMi and PDEi).