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Title: Corn intercropped with tropical perennial grasses as affected by sidedress nitrogen application rates

Author
item MATEUS, G - Sao Paulo State Agency For Agribusiness Technology (APTA)
item CRUSCIOL, CARLOS - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item PARIZ, CRISTIANO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item COSTA, NIDIA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item BORGHI, E - Embrapa
item COSTA, CINIRO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item MARTELLO, JORGE - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item CASTILHOS, ANDRE - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item Franzluebbers, Alan
item CANTARELLA, H - Agronomical Institute Of Campinas (IAC)

Submitted to: Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/24/2019
Publication Date: 11/30/2019
Citation: Mateus, G.P., Crusciol, C.A., Pariz, C.M., Costa, N.R., Borghi, E., Costa, C., Martello, J.M., Castilhos, A.M., Franzluebbers, A.J., Cantarella, H. 2019. Corn intercropped with tropical perennial grasses as affected by sidedress nitrogen application rates. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 116:223-244.

Interpretive Summary: Approaches to diversify agricultural systems are needed to build resilience to weather stresses and market vagaries. Intercropping forage grasses with corn production systems may be a valuable approach to achieve sustainability. A scientist at USDA-ARS in Raleigh, North Carolina collaborated with scientists at Sao Paulo State University to study the impacts of silage cutting height and species of cover crop intercropped with corn silage on system productivity and efficiency of utilization of embedded resources. Intercropping with improved palisadegrass improved forage production, land use efficiency, and relative nitrogen recovery. These results suggest that cropping system diversification and integration with livestock grazing can enhance resource use efficiency and provide valid approaches to enhance sustainability, particularly in this tropical region of Brazil. Approaches can be modified and tested in US agricultural systems as well.

Technical Abstract: Even with several advances in the research on corn (Zea mays L.) intercropped with tropical perennial grasses, the degree of intensity with which corn interferes with forage growth and the way in which pastures recover after silage harvest remain unknown. We investigated the effects of corn intercropped with ‘Piatã’ palisadegrass (Urochloa brizantha ‘Piatã’) and a corn monocrop harvested for silage at heights of 0.20 and 0.45 m in summer/autumn on production, land use efficiency and intercropping competition factors. The production, light interception and leaf area index of subsequent pasture for grazing by lambs (Ovis aries) in winter/spring was also evaluated compared to volunteer signalgrass (Urochloa decumbens ‘Basilisk’) regrowth after the corn monocrop on a Typic Haplorthox in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, during two growing seasons. The intercropping of corn and ‘Piatã’ palisadegrass increased the forage mass yield (from 14.2 to 15.8 Mg/ha; P<0.05), land use efficiency (from 18 to 45%; P<0.05) and relative nitrogen yield (from 20 to 56%; P<0.05) compared to those of the corn monocrop. In winter/spring, ‘Piatã’ palisadegrass exhibited higher light interception, leaf area index and forage mass of pasture (from 4.6 to 7.4 Mg/ha; P<0.05) than did volunteer signalgrass, mainly after a silage cutting height at 0.45 m. Thus, corn intercropped with ‘Piatã’ palisadegrass at a cutting height of 0.45 m, is a better option than the corn monocrop for improvements in land use efficiency and greater silage and pasture production in an integrated crop-livestock system.