Soil Properties and Agronomic Performance of Watermelon Grown in Different Tillage and Cover Crops in the South Eastern of Brazil

Abstract

Much of the watermelon (Citullus lanatus) cultivation in Brazil is conducted in sandy soil and topographic conditions that favour the erosion process. Therefore, conservation tillage methods are critical for the sustainability of the production chain of this vegetable crop. We studied different tillage methods and cover crops in watermelon cultivation in the area of the reform of degraded pasture. For this purpose, two tillage methods were established as experimental treatments: minimum tillage preparation with subsoiling only, and no tillage. As cover crops white lupine (Lupinus albus) and bristle oat (Avena strigosa) were seeded. As control, watermelon was cultivated with conventional tillage, without prior cultivation of cover crops. For the experimental design, randomised blocks in a factorial arrangement with four replications were used. After liming and phosphate fertilisation of the soil, cover crops were cultivated in soil with minimum tillage and no tillage to produce straw to be used for soil cover, where subsequently the watermelon was grown. The productivity of dry mass and nutrient accumulation in the shoot of cover crops, the soil properties and the watermelon agronomic performance were evaluated. White lupine had better performance in the production of dry mass and nutrient accumulation in shoot than bristle oat. There were differences among treatments for soil penetration resistance, where in conventional tillage the values were lower in the first 30 cm of depth in relation to no-tillage cultivation. The tillage method also affected the fertility of the soil at a depth of 0 to 20 cm. The no tillage provided increased nitrogen leaf content in watermelon regardless of cover crops but restricted root growth in relation to minimum tillage and conventional tillage. Watermelon had similar commercial production by different treatments, with reduction only in no tillage on bristle oat straw.

Watermelon cultivation in regeneration areas of a sugarcane field under different soil managements

“…They concluded that the no-tillage system provided higher yield than the conventional tillage. Branco et al (2014) compared watermelon cultivated on clover and oat straw under minimum tillage and notillage conditions, and observed that root development was restricted in the no-tillage system. However, commercial yield was similar between the treatments (27.4 Mg ha -1 ), except for no-tillage using oat straw Table 1.…”

“…Watermelon is one of the main cucurbits cultivated in Brazil; it is planted in a 94,375 ha area, and its yield is 2,171,448 Mg per year (FAO, 2014). Watermelon is grown in the state of São Paulo, primarily in sandy soils (Branco et al, 2014), in degraded pasture lands. Watermelon cultivation requires N as one of the most important nutrients whose deficiency limits this crop productivity (Grangeiro & Cecílio Filho, 2004;Leão et al, 2008).…”

Can Soil Cover Affect the Performance, Yield, and Quality of Creeping Fresh Market Tomato Hybrids?

“…The use of mulch is considered beneficial for conserving soil moisture, eliminating weeds, and subsequently increasing the nutrient supply to the soil through plant decomposition [8,11,28,29]. In tomatoes, cover crops (e.g., pearl millet and sunn hemp) improve fruit quality and suppress weed growth during plant cultivation [28].…”

“…The use of mulch is considered beneficial for conserving soil moisture, eliminating weeds, and subsequently increasing the nutrient supply to the soil through plant decomposition [8,11,28,29]. In tomatoes, cover crops (e.g., pearl millet and sunn hemp) improve fruit quality and suppress weed growth during plant cultivation [28]. Mulching with organic material (rice straw, grass clippings, and sawdust) is an accepted practice for many agricultural crops owing to its ability to conserve soil moisture and temperature, control a wide variety of weeds, prevent disease in crops, and improve soil fertility by increasing the organic matter content, in addition to being a repellent of different harmful insects [29].…”

Produção e mortalidade de raízes finas em plantações de Eucalyptus grandis cultivados em Latossolos (Itatinga-SP)

“…Em contraste, os estudos sobre a ciclagem de raízes finas em florestas tropicais ainda são escassos, e raros estudos utilizando MR podem ser encontrados (GRAEFE et al, 2008a;2008b). Até o momento no Brasil foram desenvolvidos dois estudos com raízes finas utilizando MR BRANCO et al, 2015). Apesar das metodologias para estudar processos subterrâneos terem melhorado significativamente, os estudos de raízes são normalmente realizados nos horizontes superficiais do solo (MAEGHT et al, 2013), e continuam sendo desafios para a biogeoquímica terrestre (VOGT et al, 1993;1996;RYSER, 2006), principalmente em florestas tropicais.…”