How a Long-Term Cover Crop Cultivation Impacts Soil Phosphorus Availability in a No-Tillage System?

The growth of cover crops can contribute to the increase in phosphorus content at depth by root decomposition. The aim of this work was to verify the effect of cover crops on soil phosphorus availability and use by successive plants, and the accumulation of soil P in a no-tillage system conducted for 14 years. This research was carried out during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 crop seasons, whose treatments have been installed and maintained since 2003. The experimental design was a randomized block design, and the plots consisted of spring crops: pearl millet, forage sorghum, sunn hemp, and additionally, a fallow/chiseling area. The evaluation of available P was determined by P fractionation. In general, in the two years of evaluation, the accumulation of P in the shoot dry matter was higher in sunn hemp growth, on average 25% higher than pearl millet in 2016 and 40% higher than sorghum in 2017. The highest contents of labile inorganic P were in the sorghum-soybean and fallow/chiseling-soybean successions, with values higher than 50 mg kg-1 of P in the 0-0.1 m soil layer. However, in the other layers analyzed, the cover crops obtained higher availability of labile inorganic P. The systems using cover crops recovered 100% of the P fertilized in soybean.

No-Tillage System Can Improve Soybean Grain Production More Than Conventional Tillage System.

Soil management systems can directly interfere with crop yield via changes in the soil's physical and hydraulic properties. However, short- to medium-term experiments of conduction do not always demonstrate the modifications of the management systems in these properties. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the physical properties of the soil in a long-term management system and to relate it to the storage and availability of water to plants, verifying its effect on soybean yield. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks in a split-plot scheme with four replications. Plots were composed by soil management (conventional tillage and no-tillage), and subplots represented three soil depths (0.0-0.1, 0.1-0.2, and 0.2-0.4 m). The soil's physical and hydraulic properties, root development, and soybean yield were evaluated. The no-tillage system not only presented higher bulk density and soil resistance to compaction up to a depth of 0.2 m but also greater root development. This management also did not affect the process of water infiltration in the soil and presented an increase in soybean grain yield by 6.5%. The long-term no-tillage system (33 years) offers less risk of water stress to soybean plants; it contributes to greater grain yield of this crop when compared to the conventional tillage system.

Does Forced Plant Maturation by Applying Herbicide with Desiccant Action Influence Seed Longevity in Soybean?

Herbicides with desiccant actions may be used to anticipate the harvesting of soybean seeds. This technique aims to minimize the negative influence of biotic and abiotic factors on seed physiological quality at the end of the plant cycle. However, forced seed maturation with the application of herbicides can compromise the acquisition of seed quality components, especially longevity. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate the physiological quality of soybean seeds subjected to forced maturation with desiccants. The experiment was performed in a completely randomized design, with a treatment consisting of soybean plants subjected to the application of herbicides with desiccant action at stage R7.3 and another that underwent the natural process of maturation, that is, without herbicide application. The herbicide used was Paraquat. Seed germination, vigor (first germination count, dry mass, seedling length, time to reach 50% germination(t50), emergence index, and emergence speed), and longevity(P50) were evaluated. The herbicides did not affect germination (normal seedlings). However, the acquisition of vigor and longevity, and the preservation of seed vigor during storage were affected. Thus, the results indicate that the application of herbicide with desiccant action interrupts the process of acquisition of seed physiological quality, notably longevity in soybean seeds.

Calcium and Boron Fertilization Improves Soybean Photosynthetic Efficiency and Grain Yield.

Foliar fertilization with calcium (Ca) and boron (B) at flowering can promote flower retention and pod fixation, thereby increasing the number of pods per plant and, in turn, crop productivity. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of Ca + B fertilization during flowering on the nutritional, metabolic and yield performance of soybean (Glycine max L.) The treatments consisted of the presence and the absence of Ca + B fertilization in two growing seasons. Crop nutritional status, gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic enzyme activity (Rubisco), total soluble sugar content, total leaf protein concentration, agronomic parameters, and grain yield were evaluated. Foliar Ca + B fertilization increased water use efficiency and carboxylation efficiency, and the improvement in photosynthesis led to higher leaf sugar and protein concentrations. The improvement in metabolic activity promoted a greater number of pods and grains plant-1, culminating in higher yields. These results indicate that foliar fertilization with Ca + B can efficiently improve carbon metabolism, resulting in better yields in soybean.

Lime Rate in Clayey Soils Influences Chemical Fertility and Sugarcane Yield.

Liming contributes to the alleviation of acidity in highly weathered soils. For sugarcane, the use of green harvest methods and new soil tillage systems requires an adjustment of lime application rates. In the present study, the effects of different lime rates and tillage systems on sugarcane performance and soil chemical fertility parameters were assessed. Three experiments were conducted in two locations between April 2015 and October 2019. The study design was a randomized block field study with four replicates. Four lime rates were applied once at sugarcane establishments in each soil tillage system and location: no liming (control); lime recommended rate (LRR); two times LRR (2× LRR); and three times LRR (3× LRR). The three soil tillage systems were conventional (CT), deep-strip (DT), and modified deep-strip tillage (MDT). Soil chemical fertility, leaf nutrient concentrations, and sugarcane yield components were analyzed, and correlations were identified by principal component analysis (PCA). The soil acidity was adequately alleviated in all tillage systems. Increasing the lime rate improved the lime distribution and soil fertility parameters. Applying lime at rates higher than LRR improved stalk and sugar yields, longevity, agronomic efficiency index (AEI), and correlated with a longer residual effect of liming, mainly in the last ratoon.

Soil-Plant Relationships in Soybean Cultivated under Crop Rotation after 17 Years of No-Tillage and Occasional Chiseling.

No-tillage cover crops contribute to better soil quality, being able to replace mechanized tillage management. This observation can only be made after several years of adopting conservationist practices and through research on soil-plant relationships. The objective of the research was to verify the relationship between the production components, physiological, root development, and physical-hydric properties of the soil in the yield of soybean grown in succession to different cover crops or with soil chiseling. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with four replications, comparing the cultivation of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and millet (Penninsetum glaucum L.) as cover crops and a treatment with soil chiseling. The evaluations were carried out during soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivation in the 2019/20 summer crop, that is, after 17 years of experimenting started in 2003. Rotation with sunn hemp increased soybean yield by 6% and 10%, compared with millet rotation and soil chiseling. The species used in crop rotation in a long-term no-tillage system interfere with the physical and water characteristics of the soil, affecting the physiological responses and soybean yield. The rotation with sunn hemp offers greater water stability to the plants and provides greater soybean yield in succession. Future research that better addresses year-to-year variation, architecture, and continuity of pores provided by crop rotation, and evaluations of gas exchange, fluorescence, and activities of stress enzymes in soybean plants may contribute to a better understanding of soil-plant relationships in long-term no-till.

Magnesium Foliar Supplementation Increases Grain Yield of Soybean and Maize by Improving Photosynthetic Carbon Metabolism and Antioxidant Metabolism.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to explore whether supplementary magnesium (Mg) foliar fertilization to soybean and maize crops established in a soil without Mg limitation can improve the gas exchange and Rubisco activity, as well as improve antioxidant metabolism, converting higher plant metabolism into grain yield. (2) Methods: Here, we tested foliar Mg supplementation in soybean followed by maize. Nutritional status of plants, photosynthesis, PEPcase and Rubisco activity, sugar concentration on leaves, oxidative stress, antioxidant metabolism, and finally the crops grain yields were determined. (3) Results: Our results demonstrated that foliar Mg supplementation increased the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, and reduced the sub-stomatal CO2 concentration and leaf transpiration by measuring in light-saturated conditions. The improvement in photosynthesis (gas exchange and Rubisco activity) lead to an increase in the concentration of sugar in the leaves before grain filling. In addition, we also confirmed that foliar Mg fertilization can improve anti-oxidant metabolism, thereby reducing the environmental stress that plants face during their crop cycle in tropical field conditions. (4) Conclusions: Our research brings the new glimpse of foliar Mg fertilization as a strategy to increase the metabolism of crops, resulting in increased grain yields. This type of biological strategy could be encouraged for wide utilization in cropping systems.

Long-Term Lime and Phosphogypsum Amended-Soils Alleviates the Field Drought Effects on Carbon and Antioxidative Metabolism of Maize by Improving Soil Fertility and Root Growth.

Long-term surface application of lime (L) and/or phosphogypsum (PG) in no-till (NT) systems can improve plant growth and physiological and biochemical processes. Although numerous studies have examined the effects of L on biomass and plant growth, comprehensive evaluations of the effects of this practice on net CO2 assimilation, antioxidant enzyme activities and sucrose synthesis are lacking. Accordingly, this study examined the effects of long-term surface applications of L and PG on soil fertility and the resulting impacts on root growth, plant nutrition, photosynthesis, carbon and antioxidant metabolism, and grain yield (GY) of maize established in a dry winter region. At the study site, the last soil amendment occurred in 2016, with the following four treatments: control (no soil amendments), L (13 Mg ha-1), PG (10 Mg ha-1), and L and PG combined (LPG). The long-term effects of surface liming included reduced soil acidity and increased the availability of P, Ca2+, and Mg2+ throughout the soil profile. Combining L with PG strengthened these effects and also increased SO4 2--S. Amendment with LPG increased root development at greater depths and improved maize plant nutrition. These combined effects increased the concentrations of photosynthetic pigments and gas exchange even under low water availability. Furthermore, the activities of Rubisco, sucrose synthase and antioxidative enzymes were improved, thereby reducing oxidative stress. These improvements in the physiological performance of maize plants led to higher GY. Overall, the findings support combining soil amendments as an important strategy to increase soil fertility and ensure crop yield in regions where periods of drought occur during the cultivation cycle.

Soil carbon fluxes and balances of crop rotations under long-term no-till.

BACKGROUND: A field study with the same crop rotations was conducted to test the hypothesis that the soil Carbon fluxes and balances could vary according to the crop species and also mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. This study aimed to assess the CO2 emission from crop rotations according to C and N inputs from crop residue, the influences on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TN) stocks, identifying the soybean production systems with positive C balance. Triticale (x Triticosecale) or sunflower (Helianthus annuus) are grown in the fall/winter; sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), or fallow are the spring treatments, and soybean as a main crop in summer. RESULTS: We found that high C inputs from crop residues modify the C dynamics in crop rotations by reducing the C output (CO2) and increasing C sequestration in the soil. In general, the higher SOC, C stocks, and TN in soil surface were due to higher C and N inputs from sunn hemp or forage sorghum crop residues in spring. These crops also produced lower accumulated CO2 emissions and, when rotating with triticale in the fall-winter season resulted in a positive C balance, making these soybean crop rotations more efficient. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests the ideal crop species choice in a rotation can mitigate the CO2 emissions by increasing C and N input from crop residues and consequently SOC and C stocks. In particular, crop rotation comprises an important tool to achieve a positive C balance, mitigate CO2 emissions and provide an additional ecosystem service to soybean cultivation option.

Molybdenum Foliar Fertilization Improves Photosynthetic Metabolism and Grain Yields of Field-Grown Soybean and Maize.

Foliar fertilization has been used as a supplemental strategy to plant nutrition especially in crops with high yield potential. Applying nutrients in small doses stimulates photosynthesis and increases yield performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of foliar application of molybdenum (Mo) to soybean and maize. The treatments consisted of the presence (+Mo) and absence (-Mo) of supplementation. Plant nutritional status, nitrate reductase (NR) activity, gas exchange parameters, photosynthetic enzyme activity (Rubisco in soybean and maize and PEPcase in maize), total soluble sugar concentration, leaf protein content, shoot dry matter, shoot nitrogen accumulated, number of grains per plant, mass of 100 grains, and grain yield were evaluated. For soybean and maize, application of Mo increased leaf NR activity, nitrogen and protein content, Rubisco activity, net photosynthesis, and grain yield. These results indicate that foliar fertilization with Mo can efficiently enhance nitrogen metabolism and the plant's response to carbon fixation, resulting in improved crop yields.

Persistência e liberação de nutrientes da palha de milho, braquiária e labe-labe / Persistence and nutrient release from maize, brachiaria and lablab straw

A velocidade de liberação de nutrientes da palha e persistência do material vegetal depositado sobre o solo são fatores determinantes no sucesso do Sistema Semeadura Direta. Objetivou-se avaliar a persistência e a liberação de nutrientes dos resíduos vegetais de milho, braquiária e labe-labe depositados na superfície do solo. O experimento foi instalado em 05 de maio de 2010, na UNOESTE (Presidente Prudente-SP). Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com 3 repetições, em esquema fatorial 3x4, sendo três espécies vegetais (labe-labe, milho e braquiária) e 4 épocas de avaliação (0, 45, 90 e 135 dias). Os resíduos vegetais foram colocados no interior de sacos telados de 0,20 x 0,30 m, conhecendo-se a umidade de cada material, e conseqüentemente a matéria seca inicial. Em cada época de amostragem foram avaliados os teores de N, P, K e Mg da palha e porcentagem de matéria seca remanescente de cada material, além das relações C:N dos resíduos. A cobertura de labe-labe apresentou a menor persistência entre as espécies estudadas. Todas as espécies apresentaram maior redução de massa seca nos primeiros 45 dias de avaliação. O potássio foi o elemento liberado com maior facilidade das palhas. Todas as espécies estudadas apresentaram maior liberação de nutrientes nos primeiros 45 dias após deposição da cobertura sobre o solo, com exceção para Mg que foi extraído da palha de milho com maior intensidade entre 45 e 90 dias. As palhas de milho e braquiária são mais indicadas para cobertura do solo, pois além proporcionar proteção do solo por mais tempo também são eficientes na reciclagem de nutrientes.

The rate of nutrient release from straw and the plant material persistence deposited on the soil are factors that will determine the success of the no tillage system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the persistence and nutrient release from crop residues of maize, brachiaria and lablab deposited on the soil surface. The experiment was installed in May 05, 2010, in the University of Oeste Paulista (Presidente Prudente-SP). We used a completely randomized design with three replicates in a 3x4 factorial design, with three plant species (lablab, maize and brachiaria) and four times of assessment after the deposition of residues on the soil (0, 45, 90 and 135 days). The plant residues were placed into litter bags of 0.20 x 0.30 m. The initial fresh weight of the lablab, maize and brachiaria residues placed within the litter bags were 200, 150 and 150 g, respectively, knowing the moisture content of each material, and consequently the initial dry matter. At each sampling time were evaluated for N, P, K and Mg of straw and dry matter percentage of each remaining material, in addition to the C: N ratios of the straw. Statistical analysis consisted of regression study and test Tukey (p<5%). The lablab straw had the lowest persistence of the species studied, reducing its dry weight by 55% after 135 days. All species had higher dry matter reduction in the first 45 days of evaluation. The potassium was the element of easiest release of the straws, with reduction from 60 to 77% of K accumulated in plant tissue. The maize and brachiaria straw are more suitable for cover crop, as well as provide soil protection for longer time, also are efficient in recycling nutrients.

Desenvolvimento de plantas de cobertura em solo compactado / Cover crops growth in compacted soil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento aéreo e radicular de três espécies de plantas de cobertura em condições de solo compactado. O experimento foi realizado em vasos montados com anéis de cano PVC. Cada vaso foi constituído por três anéis, sendo os anéis das extremidades com 15 cm de altura e o anel intermediário com 5 cm de altura, todos contendo 20cm de diâmetro. No anel intermediário acomodou-se solo de forma que o mesmo apresenta-se densidades de 1,6 Kg dm-3 (compactado) e de 1,1 Kg dm-3 (não compactado). Após a montagem, os vasos foram cultivados com as espécies de plantas de cobertura: labe labe (Dolichos lab lab), sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L.) e braquiária (Brachiaria ruziziensis). O experimento foi conduzido delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 3x2 (três espécies e dois níveis de compactação. Após 54 dias da emergência das plantas determinou-se a massa seca da parte aérea e a massa seca das raízes em cada camada dos vasos. A compactação do solo não reduziu produção de massa seca da parte aérea e radicular das espécies. Na presença de solo compactado, houve aumento no crescimento radicular de Brachiaria ruziziensis na camada intermediária do vaso. O sorgo e a braquiária foram as espécies com maior potencial para estruturar solos compactados. O sorgo foi a espécie com maior eficiência para colonização de raízes na camada inferior do vaso, independente da presença ou não de camada intermediária compactada.

The aim of this study was to evaluate shoot and root development of three cover crop species in compacted soil. The experiment was conducted in pots fitted with rings of PVC pipe with 20 cm of internal diameter. Each pot was constituted by three rings. The extremities ring had 15 cm high and middle ring had 5 cm. At the intermediate ring the bulk density for 1.6 Kg dm-3 (compressed) or 1.1 Kg dm-3 (uncompressed) was adjusted. The pots were cultivated with the following cover crops: labe labe (Dolichos lab lab), sorgo (Sorghum bicolor L.) and Brachiaria ruziziensis. The study was carried out in a in a completely randomized design, with four replicates, in a 3x2 factorial arrangement (three species and two compaction levels). After 54 days of plant emergence, shoot and root dry matter were evaluated in each layer of the pots. The treatments were analyzed by analysis of variance and means compared by Tukey test at 5%. Soil compaction did not reduce shoot and root dry matter of cover crops.There was an increase in root growth of Brachiaria ruziziensis in the middle layer of the plot, in compacted soil. Sorghum and pasture were the species with the greatest potential for structuring compacted soil. Sorghum was the species with greater efficiency for root colonization in the lower layer of the plot, regardless of the presence or absence of middle layer compacted.