Cover Crops Affect Soil Mineral Nitrogen and N Fertilizer Use Efficiency of Maize No-Tillage System in the Brazilian Cerrado

Arminda Moreira de Carvalho (), Maria Lucrecia Gerosa Ramos (), Vivian Galdino da Silva, Thais Rodrigues de Sousa, Juaci Vitoria Malaquias, Fabiana Piontekowski Ribeiro, Alexsandra Duarte de Oliveira, Robélio Leandro Marchão, Ana Caroline Pereira da Fonseca and Raíssa de Araujo Dantas
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Arminda Moreira de Carvalho: Embrapa Cerrados, BR-020, Km 18, Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil
Maria Lucrecia Gerosa Ramos: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, CEP, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
Vivian Galdino da Silva: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, CEP, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
Thais Rodrigues de Sousa: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, CEP, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
Juaci Vitoria Malaquias: Embrapa Cerrados, BR-020, Km 18, Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil
Fabiana Piontekowski Ribeiro: Embrapa Cerrados, BR-020, Km 18, Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil
Alexsandra Duarte de Oliveira: Embrapa Cerrados, BR-020, Km 18, Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil
Robélio Leandro Marchão: Embrapa Cerrados, BR-020, Km 18, Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil
Ana Caroline Pereira da Fonseca: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Brasília, CEP, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
Raíssa de Araujo Dantas: Embrapa Cerrados, BR-020, Km 18, Planaltina 73310-970, DF, Brazil

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Cover crops in no-tillage systems may alter soil mineral N and influence the N fertilizer use efficiency (NFUE) of subsequent maize. The hypothesis of this work is that no-tillage systems with cover crops affect nitrate, ammonium and maize NFUE in the Brazilian Cerrado. The objective was to evaluate the cover crop mineralization effect on soil N mineral and maize NFUE in a no-tillage system, with and without N topdressing. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block split-plot design. The plots were represented by cover crops ( Cajanus cajan , Crotalaria juncea , Raphanus sativus and Mucuna aterrima ). The subplots consisted of the application (WN) or non-application (NN) of N topdressing to maize. The soil was sampled in six layers (up to 60 cm) at the end (April) and at the beginning of the rainy season (November). NH 4 + was lower for all cover crops and WN and NN management in April. NO 3 − differed between seasons and cover crops in WN and NN. The lignin concentration and N uptake of M. aterrima were the highest compared to other species. The highest NFUE was on R. sativus , showing higher fertilizer dependency. In a no-tillage system with cover crops, the N topdressing fertilization needs to be improved, considering mineralization.

Keywords: ammonium; annual crops; nitrate; Zea mays (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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