The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of biochar made from Eucalyptus on soil fertility, and on the yield and development of upland rice. The experiment was performed during two years in a randomized block design with four replicates, in a sandy loam Dystric Plinthosol. Four doses of NPK 05-25-15, annually distributed in stripes (0, 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1), and four doses of biochar (0, 8, 16 and 32 Mg ha-1), applied once in the first year - alone or with NPK - were evaluated. In the first year, biochar positively affected soil fertility [total organic carbon (TOC), Ca, P, Al, H+Al, and pH], at 0-10 cm soil depth, and it was the only factor with significant effect on yield. In the second year, the effect of biochar diminished or was overcome by the fertilizer. TOC moved down in the soil profile to the 0-20 cm depth, influencing K availability in this layer. In the second year, there was a significant interaction between biochar and the fertilizer on plant growth and biomass dry matter accumulation.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of the soil and its relation with soybean (Glycine max) yield in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICLS), with intercropping between grasses and legumes in the pasture phase. The experiment was carried out in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, on a dystrophic Oxisol, in which grasses (Megathyrsus maximus 'BRS Tamani' and Urochloa brizantha 'BRS Piatã'), intercropped with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata 'BRS Tumucumaque') and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan 'BRS Mandarim'), were cultivated after soybean harvest. A randomized complete block design was used, with three replicates, in a split-plot arrangement, in which grasses were considered as plots, and legumes as subplots. Legume intercrops provided increases of C and total N stocks. The intercrops caused the increase of C and N of the microbial biomass, whereas the single cultures contributed to stress in the soil microbiota. The activity of the urease enzyme was sensitive to management changes in the short term, but acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase were poorly sensitive indicators. Soil quality is high with intercropping between grasses and legumes, with positive effects on soybean grain yield.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a ciclagem de nutrientes por plantas de cobertura e a sua influência sobre o desempenho da rotação entre arroz de terras altas e soja. As culturas foram implantadas sob plantio direto, em Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, na região do Cerrado de Goiás. As plantas de cobertura foram semeadas mecanicamente, também em plantio direto, após a colheita da soja (25/3/2008) e do arroz (7/4/2009). Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas no tempo e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram das seguintes espécies de plantas de cobertura, além do pousio: Urochloa ruziziensis, U. brizantha, Pennisetum glaucum e U. ruziziensis + Cajanus cajan. A avaliação dos nutrientes remanescentes na palhada foi feita aos: 0, 15, 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias a partir da data da dessecação das plantas de cobertura. Urochloa ruziziensis e U. brizantha apresentaram maior eficiência no acúmulo e na liberação de nutrientes, principalmente quanto ao potássio. Urochloa ruziziensis é a espécie mais indicada como planta de cobertura antecessora à cultura do arroz de terras altas, em plantio direto. No entanto, nenhuma espécie de cobertura afeta significativamente a produtividade de grãos da soja.

Research on the performance of cover crops in crop systems of annual crops in the Brazilian state of Piauí contributes to increases in yield, greater efficiency of fertilizers and mitigation of environmental impacts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of cover crops in terms of biomass production and the accumulation and release of nutrients during the crop season (November to April) in an oxisol in the Brazilian Cerrado in the state of Piauí that was submitted to different crop production systems including soybeans, maize and upland rice. The experiment was established during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 crop years in the rural area near the municipality of Bom Jesus, Piauí. The experimental design was a randomized block in a split-plot array. Different soil management systems (conventional and no-till) were evaluated in the main plots. Different crop production systems consisting of cover crops sown in the off-season (April to November), and annual crops sown during the crop season (November to April) were implemented in the subplots. The crop production systems that included Urochloa ruziziensis and Pennisetum glaucum overseeded on soybeans and Urochloa ruziziensis simultaneously intercropped with maize stood out in terms of biomass production and the accumulation and release of nutrients. Yields of maize and upland rice declined when sown under newly implemented no-till soil management.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the biomass (leaves and stems) production of annual and cover crops sown as second crop, and its effects on soybean yield in succession. The experiment was carried out in the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 crop seasons. Soybean was sown in the crop season and in the second crop, in a randomized complete block design, in nine production systems (treatments) consisting of annual crops (corn, sunflower, and cowpea) and cover crops (Pennisetum glaucum, Crotalaria breviflora, C. spectabilis, Urochloa ruziziensis, Cajanus cajan, Stylosanthes sp., and U. brizantha), which were grown in monocropping or intercropping systems, besides fallow as a control. Monocropped P. glaucum and U. ruziziensis showed a faster establishment and growth of plants, higher-total biomass and soil cover rate in the 2014 crop season. In 2015, corn intercropped with U.ruziziensis and C.spectabilis, and sunflower with U.ruziziensis stood out for total biomass production during flowering and after harvesting of corn and sunflower grains. Biomass composition in the systems showed greater proportions of stems than of leaves, and C.spectabilis stood out after senescence. Sown as a second crop, C. spectabilis promotes yield increase of soybean grown in succession in the no-tillage system.

Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a interação física entre misturas em tanque de diferentes classes de defensivos agrícolas. O experimento foi conduzido no laboratório de Química da Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, no período de junho a agosto de 2010. Os tratamentos foram constituídos pelas misturas de seis herbicidas (glyphosate SC, glyphosate WG, lactofen CE, fomesafen SC, haloxifop-R CE e fluazifop-pbutil EW) com seis inseticidas (methomyl CS, clorpirifós CE, teflubenzuron SC, triflumuron SC, cipermetrina CE e tiametoxam + lambda-cialotrina SC) na ausência e presença de dois redutores de pH (ácido pirolenhoso e ácido bórico), com quatro repetições. Utilizou-se escala de 1 a 5, visando avaliar o grau de incompatibilidade, em que 1 é a separação imediata da mistura e recomenda-se não aplicar e 5 é a homogeneidade das misturas. As maiores incompatibilidades físicas nas misturas de herbicidas e inseticidas foram observadas na presença dos herbicidas glyphosate na formulação WG e lactofen CE. O ácido pirolenhoso e o ácido bórico demonstraram ser boas alternativas, como redutores de pH, no preparo de calda de pulverização com misturas de herbicidas e inseticidas. Devem-se evitar misturas em tanque de glyphosate na formulação SC + clorpirifós CE e lactofen CE + clorpirifós CE.