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Nitrogen Supply for Cover Crops and Effects on Peanut Grown in Succession under a No‐Till System
Author(s) -
Crusciol Carlos A. C.,
Soratto Rogério P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2008.0054
Subject(s) - cover crop , pennisetum , agronomy , brachiaria , panicum , straw , arachis , dry matter , crop , no till farming , biology , environmental science , forage , soil fertility , soil water , ecology
In Brazil, as no‐till (NT) crop management expands, there is an increased interest in growing peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) with this system. However, it is not known if the preceding cover crop species, the amount of straw on the soil surface, or the N supplied to the cover crop will affect peanut grown in a NT system. An experiment was conducted on a Typic Haplorthox in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, during two agricultural years, to evaluate the cover crop dry matter (DM) and nutrient accumulation as affected by N fertilization and peanut nutrition and yield when grown in succession, under a NT system. Treatments included three cover crops {palisadegrass [ Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich) Stapf], pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Brown], and guineagrass [ Panicum maximum Jacq.]} and two N rates (0 and 60 kg ha −1 ) supplied to the cover crops 50 d after emergence (DAE). Pearl millet showed lower nutrient concentrations in aboveground biomass compared with palisadegrass and guineagrass, but accumulated the largest quantities of DM (14.8 Mg ha −1 ) and macronutrients. Nitrogen application increased N and P concentration in all cover crops, as well as the accumulation of N, Ca, and Mg in pearl millet. Nitrogen‐fertilized pearl millet resulted in higher P, Ca, Mg, and S concentrations in peanut leaves grown after. Previous cover crops, even with large straw mulch production (6.0–14.8 Mg ha −1 of DM), did not influence peanut pod yield (mean 2.3 Mg ha −1 ) in the NT system, nor did N fertilization of the cover crop.