NUTRIENTS CYCLING AND ACCUMULATION IN PEARL MILLET AND PAIAGUAS PALISADEGRASS BIOMASS IN DIFFERENT FORAGE SYSTEMS AND SOWING PERIODS

Developed the study objective of was to evaluate nutrient cycling and accumulation in pearl millet and Paiaguas palisadegrass biomass under different forage systems and sowing periods in integrated crop-livestock. The experiment followed a randomized block design with a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement and three replications, under five forage systems (monocropped pearl millet, monocropped Paiaguas palisadegrass, pearl millet intercropped in rows with Paiaguas palisadegrass, pearl millet intercropped between rows of Paiaguas palisadegrass and pearl millet oversown and intercropped with Paiaguas palisadegrass) and in two sowing periods (February and March). The results showed that Paiaguas palisadegrass monocropped or intercropped in rows or between rows, exhibited the highest nutrient cycling and accumulation in the remaining biomass. Nutrient accumulation the under all of the examined forage systems showed the following decreasing order: K > N > Mg > Ca > P > S. Potassium was the nutrient exhibiting the greatest accumulation in the biomass and it exhibited a higher percent decrease with decomposition time. The first sowing period for the forage systems led to higher nutrient cycling and accumulation in the biomass. Intercropped systems through in integrated crop-livestock showed a promising technique to maintain the nutrient cycling and accumulation with sustainability

Integrated systems improve the sustainability of soybean cultivation in the tropical region

Inter-cropping between annual crops with tropical forages through integration crop-livestock systems (ICL) is considered a sustainable option to increase crop diversity and soybean productivity. In this study, we evaluated (1) the biomass production, desiccation efficiency, nutrient accumulation, and biomass decomposition of soil crop residues produced by Panicum maximum plants intercropped with maize in two different sowing methods during the second harvest and (2) investigated how soil crop residues impact the productivity of soybean. The experiment was conducted in a complete block design with three replicates. We compared conventional soybean cultivation with soybean cultivated over soil crop residues produced by a previous integration between maize and two Panicum maximum cultivars: Tamani and Zuri guinea grass, within and between rows of maize plants. Our results showed that Tamani guinea grass showed the highest desiccation efficiency. Zuri and Tamani guinea grass cultivated within and between maize plants resulted in higher biomass production and nutrient cycling potential, resulting in an increase of 28.4% in soybean productivity, compared to soybean grown without soil crop residues. We concluded that ICL system is an efficient method to increase the sustainability of soybean cultivation

Changes in soil profile hydraulic properties and porosity as affected by deep tillage soil preparation and Brachiaria grass intercropping in a recent coffee plantation on a naturally dense Inceptisol

Soil management operations change soil porosity, affecting water infiltration, redistribution, storage, availability, and uptake by plants. Assessing how soil management may affect pore size distribution and hydraulic conductivity is thus highly relevant for rainfed agriculture coping with water shortage. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of tillage treatments, designed to deepen coffee plants root system, on improving structure and physical-hydric attributes of an Inceptisol with a shallow solum. The study was conducted in an experimental area in the municipality of Nazareno, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Soil samples were collected 18 months after coffee plantation, at different depths (0, 0.25, 0.35, 0.45, 0.55, 0.66, and 0.75 m) and they were used to determine pore-size distribution, saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Samples were also collected in surface crusts or in the 0−0.005 m soil layer for detailed grain size analysis. Field water infiltration was measured at different water tensions. Coffee seedlings were planted in rows furrowed to depths depending on tillage treatment: 0.4 m depth, made by a furrow ridger (FP40); 0.6 m depth, made by a subsoiler coupled to a soil preparer mixing the soil to a depth of 0.6 m (FP60); 0.8 m depth, made by a subsoiler and, after mixing the soil to a depth of 0.6 m, by the soil preparer (FP80). The soil between the planting rows was covered by Brachiaria-grass. Soil sampling and field tests were performed in the coffee plants row mechanically treated, in the Brachiaria-grassed inter-row (IR) lane and in a nearby area under natural vegetation (NC). Treatments effects, either mechanical in the coffee rows (FP40, FP 60 and FP80), or biological in the inter-row lane (IR) were compared to reference (NC), representing soil conditions prior to coffee plantation. The FP60 and FP80 treatments improved water infiltration, storage and hydraulic conductivity in the planting rows to a depth of 0.5 m. A more favorable pore size distribution was obtained following these treatments, which improved the soil physical environment. Conversely, furrowing promoted compaction at each implement working depth due to the pressure applied by the rods in the subsurface soil layers, combined with subsoil moisture condition at the time of operations. Root activity of intercropped Brachiaria-grass (IR) improved soil structure, expressed by a favorable pore-size distribution and a faster hydraulic conductivity in the inter-row lane. Similar effects were obtained with FP 60 and FP80 for the coffee rows, where deep furrowing during soil preparation reduced the natural density of the Inceptisol. Therefore, the management strategies tested allowed root deepening and access to soil moisture stored in deeper layers.To Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for granting the scholarship and to the funding agencies Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), CNPq, and Consórcio Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento do Café - (CBP&D/Café) of Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária - Unidade Café (Embrapa Café). To Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) and Departamento de Ciência do Solo (DCS) for the provided support. To Frade farm for allowing and aiding in the installation of the experiment and to IF Goiano for support of our research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio