Annual crop rotation of tropical pastures with no-till soil as affected by lime surface application

Abstract

Soil acidity and low natural fertility are the main limiting factors for grain production in tropical regions such as the Brazilian Cerrado. The application of lime to the surface of no-till soil can improve plant nutrition, dry matter production, crop yields and revenue. The present study, conducted at the Lageado Experimental Farm in Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil, is part of an ongoing research project initiated in 2002 to evaluate the long-term effects of the surface application of lime on the soil's chemical attributes, nutrition and kernel/grain yield of peanut (Arachis hypogaea), white oat (Avena sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu), as well as the forage dry matter yield of palisade grass in winter/spring, its crude protein concentration, estimated meat production, and revenue in a tropical region with a dry winter during four growing seasons. The experiment was designed in randomized blocks with four replications. The treatments consisted of four rates of lime application (0, 1000, 2000 and 4000 kg ha −1), performed in November 2004. The surface application of limestone to the studied tropical no-till soil was efficient in reducing soil acidity from the surface down to a depth of 0.60 m and resulted in greater availability of P and K at the soil surface. Ca and Mg availability in the soil also increased with the lime application rate, up to a depth of 0.60 m. Nutrient absorption was enhanced with liming, especially regarding the nutrient uptake of K, Ca and Mg by plants. Significant increases in the yield components and kernel/grain yields of peanut, white oat and maize were obtained through the surface application of limestone. The lime rates estimated to achieve the maximum grain yield, especially in white oat and maize, were very close to the rates necessary to increase the base saturation of a soil sample collected at a depth of 0-0.20 m to 70%, indicating that the surface liming of 2000 kg ha −1 is effective for the studied tropical no-till soil. This lime rate also increases the forage dry matter yield, crude protein concentration and estimated meat production during winter/spring in the maize-palisade grass intercropping, provides the highest total and mean net profit during the four growing seasons, and can improve the long-term sustainability of tropical agriculture in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Yield and nutritive value of the silage of corn intercropped with tropical perennial grasses

“…The values of FDMY in the off-season were consistent with those reported in the literature Crusciol et al, 2013Crusciol et al, , 2016, including nutritive values (Van Soest, 1994).…”

“…Several authors Costa et al, 2015a;Janusckiewicz et al, 2015;Crusciol et al, 2016) recommend tropical perennial grasses, such as palisade and guinea grasses, for integrated farming systems and Table 4. Dry matter (DM), ash, neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN), acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (LIG), cellulose (CEL), hemicellulose (HEM), pH, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), total carbohydrates (TCs), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs), total digestible nutrients (TDNs), in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM), and ammoniacal nitrogen to total nitrogen ratio (N-NH 3 /TN) of silage from monocropped corn (Zea mays) and corn intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha 'Marandu') or guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus 'Tanzânia') (1) .…”

“…Satisfactory results have been obtained by using intercropped crops and ICLS under NTS (Bell & Moore, 2012;Costa et al 2012;Crusciol et al, 2013). The practice of combining intercropped crops under NTS is one of the best alternatives for maintaining sustainability in tropical agricultural systems and can result in higher revenues for farmers, due to their productive, economic, and environmental benefits (Costa et al, 2015a(Costa et al, , 2015bCrusciol et al, 2016).…”

“…Researchers and farmers have observed several advantages of this management system that can benefit both of the crops combined (Costa et al, 2012;Borghi et al, 2013;Crusciol et al, 2016). In intercropping systems, it is possible to produce annual grain crops, silage and forage for animal grazing, which improves the carrying capacity of the pastures and increases food production without requiring additional land .…”

“…Therefore, in the notillage system (NTS) (L.) Merr. ], aiming to produce grain or silage, with subsequent production of forage for animal feed from autumn to spring (Costa et al, 2012;Crusciol et al, 2014Crusciol et al, , 2016Mateus et al, 2016). The forage produced can be used for grazing, cut for silage, cut for silage followed by grazing, and cut for hay in the integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS), enabling animal feeding in a pasture, semi-feedlot, or feedlot , and can also be used for straw production, giving continuity to the NTS (Mendonça et al, 2015;Pereira et al, 2016).…”