Influence of cover crops and nitrogen rates in winter corn crop

Abstract

The use of cover crops along with the nitrogen application in no-tillage system, besides being essential for the conservation of soil, can also assist in nutrient availability to succeeding crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of three different ground cover plants and four levels of nitrogen fertilization on winter maize under no-tillage system. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Center of Agricultural Sciences of the Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados-MS. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks in a 3x4 factorial design, with three ground covers (velvet bean, an area under fallow with ‘camalote’ grass and another with sunn hemp) and four levels of nitrogen (0. 40. 80 and 120 kg ha-1), with four replications. The plant height and ear height, stem diameter, the diameter and length of ears, weight of hundred grains and productivity of winter corn were evaluated. Soil cover influenced the basal stem diameter and grain yield of maize. The increment of nitrogen favored the vast majority of yield components of corn. The use of hedges such as velvet bean and grass camelote and nitrogen increased the grain yield of maize.