Soil management of cerrado vegetation area under citrus and its influence on plant growth and fruit yield

Abstract

This paper presents results of a randomized block design experiment with seven treatments and four replications. The experiment was performed in 1967, at Sete Lagoas, State of Minas Gerais, at the "Instituto de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Centro Oeste (IPEACO)" using the "Baianinha" orange variety of citrus grown on a red-yellow latosol, “cerrado” phase. From October 1968 to 1970, the annual rate of growth of the trees was determined by measuring trunk diameter. Measurements were taken 20 cm above and 10 cm below the engrafting point. Results during 1971 for the number of fruits and weight of fruits per tree showed that trees on soil receiving mulch, trees on soil kept clean all year round by superficial harrowing; and trees on soil cleaned during the dry season (one harrow only) and covered with cow pea (Vigna sinensis L.) "plumbeo" during the rainy season (incorporated in soil during bloom stage), gave better growth and greater fruit production than trees under other treatments. Soil permanently covered with perennial soybean (Glycine javanica L.), and moved during bloom stage, and soil permanently covered with perennial soybean and left to seed, resulted in trees with less growth and less fruit production than trees under other treatments.