Short-Term Agronomic and Economic Responses to the Adoption of Cover Crops for Corn Rotation in the Brazilian Semiarid Region

João Henrique Silva da Luz (), Matheus Batista da Silva, Luana do Nascimento Silva Barbosa, José Wilker Germano de Souza, Maria Raquel da Silva Farias, John Kennedy dos Santos, Maria Gleide Jane Lima De Gois, Sivaldo Soares Paulino, Ricardo Barros Silva, Dayane Mércia Ribeiro Silva, Deyvison de Asevedo Soares, Paulo Sergio Pavinato and Valdevan Rosendo dos Santos ()
Additional contact information
João Henrique Silva da Luz: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
Matheus Batista da Silva: Department of Soil Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, Brazil
Luana do Nascimento Silva Barbosa: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
José Wilker Germano de Souza: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
Maria Raquel da Silva Farias: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
John Kennedy dos Santos: Department of Soil Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, Brazil
Maria Gleide Jane Lima De Gois: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
Sivaldo Soares Paulino: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
Ricardo Barros Silva: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
Dayane Mércia Ribeiro Silva: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
Deyvison de Asevedo Soares: Department of Soil Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, Brazil
Paulo Sergio Pavinato: Department of Soil Science, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba 13418-900, Brazil
Valdevan Rosendo dos Santos: Department of Agronomy, Campus Arapiraca, Federal University of Alagoas, Av. Manoel Severino Barbosa Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 20, 1-15

Abstract: Cover crops (CCs) have demonstrated their significance in enhancing the agronomic and economic performance of corn in succession. In this paper, we assess the agronomic responses and short-term economic returns of adopting cover crops (CCs) for corn cultivation in the sandy soils of the semiarid region of northeast Brazil, with the aim of addressing the additional challenges of CCs adoption in semiarid regions. The field study was conducted in Arapiraca, Alagoas, under no-tillage conditions for two cropping seasons. A randomized complete block design was employed, comprising six CCs (sunn hemp, spectabilis, jack bean, pigeon pea, lab lab, and millet) treatments and one fallow, with 18 replications. The CCs were cultivated for 60 days before corn planting. Drip irrigation was applied during the grain-filling stage of corn growth. Over the two cropping seasons, the biomass and nutrient cycling of the CCs, corn yield, and economic returns were determined, as well as the total organic carbon (TOC) and Mehlich-1 extractable P levels in the soil after corn harvest. The grain yields with sunn hemp, spectabilis, and jack bean were superior (~10%) to that of the fallow (7.7 vs. 7.1 Mg ha −1 ), irrespective of the cropping season. Sunn hemp exhibited a higher biomass accumulation and ensured greater nutrient cycling, except for K, while lab lab and millet displayed a similar potential, although substantial variations were observed between seasons. Under sunn hemp and jack bean, the TOC increased by ~9%, particularly in the second season. Regarding the available P, spectabilis and jack bean exhibited the highest levels, with an increase of ~74% compared to the fallow (~31.1 vs. 17.9 mg dm −3 ). Spectabilis and lab lab demonstrated more promising results, both agronomically and economically. However, millet and sunn hemp have the potential to reduce costs over multiple cropping seasons. Therefore, the adoption of cover crops is a sustainable and economically viable agricultural practice. However, it is essential to acknowledge that our results do not represent rainfed conditions and require further investigation.

Keywords: net returns; nutrients cycling; sunn hemp; spectabilis; jack bean; pigeon pea; lab lab; millet; land equivalent ratio; corn yield stability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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