Phytomass and soil cover of sequential crops after maize in Cerrado region

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biomass production and soil cover by different crops after maize cultivated in conventional tillage and no-tillage, in Cerrado conditions. The biomass of black oat, sunnhep, canavalia, pigeonpea, mucuna, sunflower and millet was obtained when they showed 50% of flowering. Soil coverage was evalluated at 30 and 60 days after sequential crops sowing, in August (during dry season), in October (at the beginning of the rainy season) and after 15 and 45 days of maize crop sowing. Mucuna showed the highest soil coverage rate during its growing. The biomass produced by sunflower had no efficiency for soil coverage. No-tillage showed the highest productions of biomass by sequential crops, compared to the conventional tillage system.