Estudou-se o efeito do cultivo prévio de leguminosas sobre a produtividade e lucratividade da cana-de-açúcar. Foram determinados a produtividade de biomassa, o acúmulo de nutrientes das leguminosas, a ocorrência natural de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares, bem como o efeito das leguminosas sobre a população de nematoides do gênero Pratylenchus à cana-de-açúcar. O experimento foi desenvolvido em Piracicaba (SP), Brasil, em solo classificado como Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico, utilizando-se a cultivar de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) IAC87-3396. As avaliações dos efeitos do cultivo prévio das leguminosas foram realizadas durante cinco cortes consecutivos. Os tratamentos consistiram do cultivo prévio das leguminosas: Amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L) - cultivares IAC-Tatu e IAC-Caiapó, crotalária júncea IAC 1 (Crotalaria juncea L) e mucuna preta [Mucuna aterrima (Piper & Tracy) Holland], e um tratamento-testemunha. Adotou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados com cinco repetições. A leguminosa mais produtiva de biomassa seca (parte aérea+raízes) foi a crotalária júncea IAC 1 (10.264 kg ha-1), seguida da mucuna preta (4.391 kg ha-1) e dos amendoins, IAC-Caiapó (3.177 kg ha-1) e IAC-Tatu (1.965 kg ha-1). O amendoim IAC-Caiapó e a mucuna preta foram as espécies mais infectadas por fungos micorrízicos. O amendoim, independente da cultivar, foi a leguminosa que mais reduziu a infestação de Pratylenchus spp. na cana-de-açúcar. Após cinco cortes da cana-de-açúcar o melhor desempenho foi notado no tratamento com cultivo prévio de crotalária júncea IAC 1, o qual promoveu incrementos de 30% e 35% na produtividade de colmos e de açúcar respectivamente e o melhor desempenho econômico.

Given their potential for biological nitrogen fixation, legumes used as green manure are an alternative source of nitrogen to crops, and can supplement or even replace mineral nitrogen fertilization. The utilization of nitrogen by sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) fertilized with sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) and ammonium sulphate (AS) was evaluated using the 15N tracer technique. Amounts of 195.8 kg and 70 kg N per hectare, respectively, of sunn hemp and AS were added in the following treatments: without green manure and without AS; without green manure, with AS -15N; with green manure-15N and with AS; with green manure-15N, without AS; with green manure and with AS-15N. Four samples from the leaves +3 were collected and 2 m of the sugar cane row were harvested to estimate crop yield. The results for N contents (g kg-1), isotopic abundance of N (atoms % 15N) in leaf +3 samples, and sugarcane productivity were used to calculate cumulative N, nitrogen in the plant derived from the fertilizer-Ndff (% and kg ha-1), as well as percent recovery of fertilizer N (R%). Sugarcane was analysed and pol and total recovered sugar calculated. The highest Ndff percentages were observed eight months after sugarcane planting for treatments containing green manure without mineral N, and green manure with mineral N, at 15.3 and 18.4%, respectively. The best nitrogen recovery was observed during harvest, 18 months after planting; the treatment containing mineral fertilizer showed 34.4% recovery, while the sum between mineral N plus green manure N showed 40.0%. Treatments containing green manure plus mineral N changed soil attributes, by increasing Ca and Mg contents, sum of bases, pH, and base saturation, and decreasing potential acidity. In the plant, those treatments increased Ca and K contents.

Legumes as green manure are alternative sources of nitrogen (N) for crops and can supplement or even replace mineral nitrogen fertilization due to their potential for biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). The utilization of nitrogen by sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) fertilized with sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) and ammonium sulfate (AS) was evaluated using the 15N tracer technique. N was added at the rate of 196 and 70 kg ha-1 as 15Nlabeled sunn hemp green manure (SH) and as ammonium sulfate (AS), respectively. Treatments were: (i) Control; (ii) AS15N; (iii) SH15N + AS; (iv) SH15N; and (v) AS15N + SH. Sugarcane was cultivated for five years and was harvested three times. 15N recovery was evaluated in the two first harvests. In the sum of the three harvests, the highest stalk yields were obtained with a combination of green manure and inorganic N fertilizer; however, in the second cutting the yields were higher where SH was used than in plots with AS. The recovery of N by the first two consecutive harvests accounted for 19 to 21% of the N applied as leguminous green manure and 46 to 49% of the N applied as AS. The amounts of inorganic N, derived from both N sources, present in the 0-0.4 m layer of soil in the first season after N application and were below 1 kg ha-1.

Trichoderma fungi are considered relevant plant growth promoters for increasing the efficiency in the use of nutrients, as well as acting as biological control agents. This study aimed to select Trichoderma spp. isolates with potential for phosphate solubilization and their application as growth promoters in interaction with homeophatic preparations, in cherry tomato. Among 16 Trichoderma spp. isolates obtained from soils of organic tomato growing areas tested in vitro, together with a commercial product (Trichodermil^®), two of them showed the ability for indole-3-acetic acid production and phosphate solubilization. The Trichoderma “R” had the highest mycelial growth speed index and presented twice as much spores than the commercial product. An in vivo experiment was also conducted in a greenhouse, in order to observe the potential of Trichoderma spp. isolates and homeophatic preparations on the cherry tomato growth promotion, using a randomized block experimental design, in a 4 x 3 factorial arrangement, with three Trichoderma isolates and two homeopathic preparations (Phosphorus 6CH and Carbo vegetabilis 6CH) + treatment without homeopathic preparation. The leaf area and dry mass of leaves and roots were determined. It was possible to observe that the isolate “R”, identified as Trichoderma asperellum, was effective in the cherry tomato growth promotion, while the homeopathic preparations applied did not show any effect.