Yield of creole corn under the residual effect of leguminous plants in the northeastern semi-arid region
Abstract
Agroecological production systems require profitable edaphic management strategies; therefore, the adoption of leguminous plants has become a strategy for improving nutrient cycling and straw input in the soil for subsequent crops. The objective of this study was to evaluate dry matter production and nutrient levels in leguminous plants grown alone and their effects on maize grown in succession in an agroecological production system. We conducted field experiments in two harvests under a randomized block design with eight treatments and three replicates. The treatments used were mulch, Mucuna pruriens, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC., Dolichos lablab, Cajanus cajan, control (soil without vegetation cover), Crotalaria juncea, and Canavalia ensiformis. At the end of flowering, approximately 67 days after sowing (DAS), plants were collected and deposited in the soil as cover and fertilizer. The production of dry matter and nutritional content (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)) in the agricultural fertilizers were analyzed, followed by the sowing of corn after this deposition as a form of residual fertilization. C. juncea produced the maximum amount of straw dry matter of 15,000 kg ha-1, with a high N content (32.2 g kg-1) but low K content (0.3 g kg-1). Black velvet showed high K content (3.4 g kg-1), and M. pruriens (MPL) showed high P content (3.0 g kg-1). Production parameters were determined on a large scale using C. juncea and C. ensiformis, with average values of 3,380 kg ha-1. The incorporation of green leguminous manures (sun hemp and jack bean) resulted in better yields in maize production components (ear length, ear diameter, number of rows, mass of 100 grains, and productivity) owing to the high accumulation of aerial phytomass and high N uptake under local conditions.
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