Soybean yield under different planting systems and border irrigation on Alfisols

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of planting systems and supplementary border irrigation on soybean yield in areas of a compacted layer in the soil subsurface. Two experiments were carried out in a randomized complete block design, in a factorial arrangement, with four replicates, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Experiment 1 was performed in Santa Maria, in the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 growing seasons; and experiment 2 in Formigueiro, in the 2013/2014 crop season. The treatments consisted of factors A and D. Factor A considered the following planting systems: A1, sowing using double disks; A2, sowing using notched disks; A3, sowing using shanks; A4, sowing using shanks and soil accommodation mechanism; A5, raised bed system; and A6, deep tillage and sowing using double disks. Factor D consisted of irrigated or nonirrigated treatments. In the 2014/2015 growing season, factor A4 was changed using a shank at 5 cm from the seeding line. Experiment 2 consisted only of factor A of experiment 1, without the raised bed system. The systems with deep tillage and sowing using a shank provide higher soybean grain yield. Irrigation at soil moisture conditions lower than 60% of field capacity increases soybean grain yield.