Effects of superficial liming and silicate application on soil fertility and crop yield under rotation

Soil acidity and low natural fertility are the main problems for grain production in Brazilian 'cerrado'. Although lime has been the most applied source for soil correction, silicate may be an alternative material due to its lower solubility and Si supply, which is beneficial to several crops. This work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of superficial liming and calcium/magnesium silicate application on soil chemical attributes, plant nutrition, yield components and final yield of a soybean/white oat/maize/bean rotation under no-tillage system in a dry-winter region. The experiment was conducted under no tillage system in a deep acid clayey Rhodic Hapludox, Botucatu-SP, Brazil. The design was the completely randomized block with sixteen replications. Treatments consisted of two sources for soil acidity correction (dolomitic lime: ECC=90%, CaO=36% and MgO=12%; calcium/magnesium silicate: ECC=80%, CaO=34%, MgO=10% and SiO2=22%) applied in October 2006 to raise base saturation up to 70% and a control, with no soil correction. Soybean and white oat were sown in 2006/2007 as the main crop and off-season, respectively. Maize and bean were cropped in the next year (2007/2008). Products from silicate dissociation reach deeper soil layers after 18months from the application, compared to liming. Additionally, silicate is more efficient than lime to increasing phosphorus availability and reducing toxic aluminum. Such benefits in soil chemical attributes were only evidenced during bean cropping, when grain yield was higher after silicate application comparatively to liming. Both correction sources were improved mineral nutrition of all the other crops, mainly Ca and Mg levels and agronomical characteristics, reflecting in higher yield. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Modelos agrometeorológicos para previsão da produtividade e qualidade de bebida natural do cafeeiro

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Spatial relationships between soil attributes and corn yield in no-tillage system

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of different soil tillage systems and coverages on soybean crop in the Botucatu Region in Brazil

Nowadays, agricultural practices should combine high yields with a sustainable use of resources. Different tillage practices and crop covers, if combined, may help to achieve both objectives. In this work, several traits of a soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) cultivar were studied under different conditions of tillage and previous soil coverages. The experiment was installed at Lageado Research Station, Botucatu county, SP, Brazil, on a Paleudult. It consisted of nine treatments (combining three systems of soil tillage and three cover crops) and 4 replicates, yielding 36 plots of a randomized block experimental design. The soil tillage systems considered were: (i) conventional tillage with two heavy harrowing and a levelling harrowing; (ii) chiseling, and (iii) no-tillage with chemical drying of vegetation. The three cover crops used were: black oat, sorghum and spontaneous vegetation. Analyzed variables were: plant height, initial and final plant densities, height of first pod insertion, weight of a thousand grains, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, and crop yield. No significant differences were observed for most of the analyzed variables; however, conventional tillage produced significantly heavier grains and a higher number of pods per plant. The selected covers were considered an excellent coverage prior to planting soybean in a crop rotation. The three tillage systems can be used for deployment of culture without compromising the development of soybean.

Spatial variability of soil attributes and sugarcane yield in relation to topographic location

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

An Innovative Crop-Forage Intercrop System: Early Cycle Soybean Cultivars and Palisadegrass

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Water table effects on bean yield and nitrate distribution in the soil profile

In order to evaluate the bean yield under different water table levels as well as the moisture and nitrate distribution in the soil profile, a field experiment was carried out in the experimental area of the College of Agricultural Sciences - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Beans were grown in field lysimeters under five water table depths: 30; 40; 50; 60 and 70 cm. The moisture in the soil profile was determined gravimetrically using samples collected at 10; 20; 30; 40; 50; 60 and 70 cm deep. The water table depths of 30cm and 40cm showed the highest productivities (3,228.4kg.ha-1 and 3,422.1kg.ha-1, respectively), with no statistical differences between them. The highest productivity was related to the two highest water table levels (30 and 40cm), which provided the highest moisture average values on the basis of volume in the soil profile (33.3 e 31%) as well as the consumptive use of water (416 and 396mm). The nitrate content during the bean cycle at the extraction depth of 60cm was below the safe drinking limit of 10mg.1-1 for water table depths of 30; 40; 50 and 60cm, which shows the denitrification efficiency as a way of controlling nitrate pollution in water tables. The management of water table can lead to high levels of bean yield and to a better control of nitrate pollution in underground water.

Alternative to peat for Agaricus brasiliensis yield

Casing layer is one of the most important components of Agaricus spp. production and it directly affects mushroom productivity, size and mass. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential raw materials as a casing layer and their effect on Agaricus brasiliensis productivity. Raw materials from Brazil with potential use were selected and characterized, and the most promising ones were tested as casing layers for mushroom yield. Evaluated raw materials included lime schist, vermiculite, eucalyptus sawdust, sand, São Paulo peat, Santa Catarina peat, subsoil and charcoal. Particle size, porosity and water absorption in relation to mushroom yield for casing layers were determined. Lime schist, an alternate casing layer to peat, is presented and the effects of the casing layer on the mushroom yield are discussed. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Spatial and Temporal Prediction Model of Corn Grain Yield as a Function of Soil Attributes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

POTASSIC FERTILIZATION FOR CRAMBE CROP

There are few studies for the crambe crop (Crambe abyssinica Hochst), and studies that characterize the sufficiency level of K in the soil and leaves are indispensable to support future programs potassium fertilization for this crop of fall/winter. An experiment was carried out to investigate the response of crambe to K soil. The experiment was carried out on a clayey Red Latossol under no-till in Botucatu, S (a) over tildeo Paulo State, Brazil. Treatments consisted of seven K levels in the soil, resulting from the application year (2000 to 2010), the summer crop (soybean), 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 kg ha(-1) K2O. Before starting the experiment, soil samples were collected at depths of 0-20 cm and soil K contents determined by the resin and Mehlich-1 method. The sufficiency levels of K in soil and leaves were obtained considering the relative yield of 90%. When the levels of soil K extracted by resin and Mehlich-1, are above 88 and 94 mg dm(-3), respectively, equivalent to 26 g kg(-1) K in the leaves, the increase in crop yield of crambe is unlikely. These values should match the sufficiency level of crop and are sufficient to achieve relative grain yield of 90%.

Modelos agrometeorológicos estatísticos de previsão de produtividade e qualidade para cana-de-açúcar

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Maize leaf phytotoxicity and grain yield are affected by nitrogen source and application method

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Soybean yield in relation to distance from the Itaipu reservoir

Crops close to small water bodies may exhibit changes in yield if the water mass causes significant changes in the microclimate of areas near the reservoir shoreline. The scientific literature describes this effect as occurring gradually, with higher intensity in the sites near the shoreline and decreasing intensity with distance from the reservoir. Experiments with two soybean cultivars were conducted during four crop seasons to evaluate soybean yield in relation to distance from the Itaipu reservoir and determine the effect of air temperature and water availability on soybean crop yield. Fifteen experimental sites were distributed in three transects perpendicular to the Itaipu reservoir, covering an area at approximately 10 km from the shoreline. The yield gradient between the site closest to the reservoir and the sites farther away in each transect did not show a consistent trend, but varied as a function of distance, crop season, and cultivar. This finding indicates that the Itaipu reservoir does not affect the yield of soybean plants grown within approximately 10 km from the shoreline. In addition, the variation in yield among the experimental sites was not attributed to thermal conditions because the temperature was similar within transects. However, the crop water availability was responsible for higher differences in yield among the neighboring experimental sites related to water stress caused by spatial variability in rainfall, especially during the soybean reproductive period in January and February.

Períodos de interferência de plantas daninhas na cultura do quiabo

Poucas pesquisas têm sido realizadas sobre interferência de plantas daninhas na cultura do quiabo. Objetivou-se com este trabalho estimar os períodos de interferência da comunidade infestante no quiabeiro. Um experimento de campo foi conduzido sob dois grupos de tratamentos, mantendo períodos crescentes de 0 (testemunha), 7, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 63, 77, 91 e 105 dias após a emergência da cultura (DAE), com e sem controle das plantas daninhas. As plantas daninhas com maior importância relativa foram Portulaca oleracea, Nicandra physaloides e Eleusine indica. A convivência do quiabeiro com as plantas daninhas por todo o ciclo de cultivo reduziu a produtividade da cultura em 95%. O período anterior à interferência foi de 57 DAE, enquanto o período total de prevenção à interferência foi de 14 DAE. Não houve período crítico de prevenção à interferência, sendo um único controle das plantas daninhas entre 14 e 57 DAE suficiente para prevenir a interferência na cultura do quiabo.