RESUMO A busca por sistemas produtivos mais sustentáveis é um desafio necessário. Avaliaram-se formas de manejo do consórcio entre milho e Crotalaria juncea L., que possibilitem otimizar a produção “in situ” de massa vegetal, sem comprometer o potencial produtivo do cereal. Realizaram-se experimentos em épocas distintas: primavera-verão (experimento 1) e outono-inverno (experimento 2), em Seropédica -RJ, no período de 11/2010 a 09/2011. Os tratamentos para o experimento 1 foram: C. juncea, semeada: sete dias antes, simultaneamente com, aos 14 e aos 28 dias após a cultura do milho, respectivamente, para T1, T2, T3 e T4. Além desses, T5-milho em monocultivo e T6-milho em monocultivo + N. Os tratamentos para o experimento 2 foram: C. juncea semeada: sete dias antes, simultaneamente com, aos sete e aos 14 dias após a cultura do milho, respectivamente para TA, TB, TC e TD. Além desses, TE-milho em monocultivo e TF-milho em monocultivo + N. Para T1, T2, TA e TB a C. juncea foi roçada aproximadamente 30 dias após a emergência e sua palhada utilizada como fonte de N para o milho; já para T3, T4, T6, TC, TD e TF foi utilizada a torta de mamona como fonte de N. Na primavera-verão, em T2, a produção de grãos do cereal não diferiu da produção do monocultivo com adubação nitrogenada, com reflexo positivo no balanço econômico. No outono-inverno, a presença do adubo verde semeado 14 dias após o milho resultou em benefícios ao sistema. A C. juncea, quando cultivada na primavera-verão, apresentou potencial para fornecer N ao milho como alternativa à adubação nitrogenada de cobertura.

The addition of biochar to soils can improve soil fertility and increase agricultural productivity. We carried out a field experiment in which biochar produced from Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp. was added to low-fertility Brazilian planosol and tested to increase the yield of maize (Zea mays) and snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in sequential, organic cultivation. Biochar was applied at a 15 t/ha rate, combined or not with Azospirillum Brasiliense inoculation and organic fertilizer (Bokashi). The application of biochar resulted in an increase in soil pH and of the content of macronutrients such as phosphorus and potassium. Contrary to evidence from elsewhere, biochar had a limited effect on increasing maize yield. In the case of beans, when combined with fertilizer, biochar increased the production of beans pods and biomass, but the significant increase was observed only for inoculation. Beans are the principal component of Brazilian diet and increasing productivity of beans is of upmost importance for the poorest in Brazil, and in other tropical countries.

The experiment was conducted in (Integrated Agroecological Production System in Seropedica-RJ) Sistema Integrado de Produção Agroecológica (SIPA), Seropédica-RJ, to evaluate the effect of two maize populations in relation to baby corn productivity and shoot mass, to determine the contribution of pre-cultivated maize, green velvet and organic topdressing fertilization in the agronomic performance of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with three treatments (maize population of 100,000 and 200,000 plants ha^-1 and green velvet at 100,000 plants ha^-1) and eight replicates. After that, cabbage was transplanted in the straw of these species, adopting a randomized block design allocated in split plots, totalizing six treatments, being three pre-cultivation practices and two organic topdressing fertilization doses (with or without 50 g fermented organic compost per planting hole). Considering “baby corn” productivity, no differences were observed compared to maize populations, with an average productivity of 822.5 kg ha^-1. Green velvet pre-cultivation obtained the highest shoot dry mass (8.4 t ha^-1). Cabbage crop was improved by green velvet pre-cultivation, reaching 60.7 t ha^-1 and organic topdressing fertilization, reaching 60.4 t ha^-1; however, in the presence of green velvet straw, topdressing fertilization did not promote additional yield benefit of this crop. Thus, we noticed that green manure using green velvet increased cabbage productivity, submitted to organic management, when compared to maize pre-cultivation, making it able to replace organic topdressing fertilization.

A reliable quantification of nitrogen (N) losses by ammonia (NH₃) volatilization can contribute to identifying optimized strategies of fertilizer management. The objective of this study was to quantify ammonia volatilization from several organic N sources incorporated into or applied onto the soil surface. Two cultivation areas, under snap bean and corn, were evaluated at Embrapa Agrobiology, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro (RJ). Both experiments used a randomized complete block design in split-plots, with four replications. The main plots consisted of four organic fertilizers (castor bean cake, bokashi, legume fertilizers, cattle manure), at rates of 200 kg ha^-1 N, and a control treatment (without fertilization), and the subplots corresponded to the management forms (incorporated or surface-applied) of the fertilizers. In the first experiment, snap bean cv. Novirex was grown in winter/spring and in the second, corn cv. Catingueiro in summer/autumn. In each subplot, static semi-open NH₃ collectors were installed. We conclude that surface-applied castor cake was the organic fertilizer with highest N loss by NH₃ volatilization. A comparison of the management systems (incorporated or surface-applied) showed that volatilization from organic fertilizers incorporated into the soil was significantly lower, with a reduction of 80 % for castor cake, of 78 % for bokashi and 67 % for legume fertilizer. Nitrogen loss through ammonia volatilization varied, from rates of 3 to 25 % in winter/spring and from 2 to 38 % in summer/autumn, according to the organic fertilizer applied. The period required to recover 95 % of the N lost by NH₃-N volatilization was between 13 to 18 days for castor cake; 14 to 43 days for bokashi; 17 to 49 days for legume fertilizer and more than 43 days for cattle manure.

A viabilidade econômica da compostagem está relacionada à utilização de matérias-primas abundantes, de custo competitivo e com níveis reduzidos de contaminação química e biológica. Seguindo esses critérios identifica-se a biomassa de capim-elefante e a torta de mamona como materiais bastante promissores. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, determinar as características dos produtos finais e os índices de eficiência do processo de compostagem em três formulações da mistura de capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum) e torta de mamona com diferentes relações C:N, além de um tratamento de referência com a mistura de capim-elefante e biomassa de Crotalaria juncea. A compostagem da mistura de capim-elefante com torta de mamona possibilitou a obtenção de material orgânico estabilizado com elevado teor de N, sem a necessidade de utilização de qualquer inoculante ou aditivo. Os compostos se estabilizaram aproximadamente aos 60 dias após o início da compostagem e apresentaram reduções de cerca de 50% de sua massa e 65% de seu volume, após 90 dias de compostagem. Compostos com os menores valores iniciais de relação C:N apresentaram as maiores perdas proporcionais de N durante a compostagem.

This work aimed to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of fermented composts formulated with brewery waste (RC) with castor bean bran (FM) or Gliricidia sepium leaf bran (FG) in the fertilization of butterhead lettuce and green leaf lettuce grown in succession. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in a 2x5 factorial scheme, consisting of two fermented composts and five N doses (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 kg/ha). The composts were formulated by combining 60 RC+40 FM and 60 RC+40 FG considering the % of dry matter after moisture correction. We verified that the phytotechnical performance of the butterhead lettuce, in relation to fertilization, is influenced by the applied dose; no difference regarding the composts was noticed, though. The doses of 272.2 and 248.71 kg/ha of N enabled the maximum yield of 78.01 and 87.79 t/ha, respectively, 60 RC+40 FM and 60 RC+40 FG. The fermented compost containing FM, in the range of the stipulated doses, showed a residual effect on the main phytotechnical traits of the green leaf lettuce, and the magnitude of the effect is directly proportional to the dose applied in the previous crop.