An innovative corn to silage-grass-legume intercropping system with oversown black oat and soybean to silage in succession for the improvement of nutrient cycling

Authors: PARIZ, CRISTIANO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); COSTA, NIDA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); COSTA, CINIRO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); CRUSCIOL, CARLOS - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); CASTILHOS, ANDRE - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); MEIRELLES, PAULO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); CALONEGO, JULIANO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); ANDREOTTI, MARCELO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); SOUZA, DANIEL - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); CRUZ, IGOR - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); LONGHINI, VANESSA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); PROTES, VERENA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); SARTO, JAQUELINE - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); PIZA, MARINA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); MELO, VERONICA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); SEREIA, RODRIGO - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); FACHIOLLI, DANIELE - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); ALMEIDA, FABIANA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); SOUZA, LUIZ - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP); Franzluebbers, Alan

Submitted to: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/28/2020
Publication Date: 11/24/2020
Citation: Pariz, C.M., Costa, N.R., Costa, C., Crusciol, C.A., Castilhos, A.M., Meirelles, P.R., Calonego, J.C., Andreotti, M., Souza, D.M., Cruz, I.V., Longhini, V.Z., Protes, V.M., Sarto, J.R., Piza, M.L., Melo, V.F., Sereia, R.C., Fachiolli, D.F., Almeida, F.A., Souza, L.G., Franzluebbers, A.J. 2020. An innovative corn to silage-grass-legume intercropping system with oversown black oat and soybean to silage in succession for the improvement of nutrient cycling. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 4, Article 544996.

Interpretive Summary: Cropping system diversification is needed to pursue greater productivity, but also to overcome threats to ecological stability. Intercropping of forages with cereal and legume grains harvested for silage has potential to diversify agricultural operations and close nutrient cycling to reduce losses of nutrients to the environment. A scientist with USDA Agricultural Research Service in Raleigh NC collaborated with a team of investigators from São Paulo State University in Brazil to determine silage production with intercropping of tropical forage grasses as a source of forage for cattle consumption that would be ready for grazing during the winter dry season after corn grain harvest. Different sowing combinations of intercropped forages were tested to overcome the competitive effects of the intercropped forage on silage yield and optimizing forage production. Intercropping systems were effective at increasing overall agricultural productivity. This research demonstrated the value of enhancing cropping systems diversity on agricultural productivity and points to potentially greater sustainability, by producing both silage and livestock forage on the same land during the course of the year. This research will help farmers, extension specialists, and scientists to further refine cropping systems for greater sustainability.

Technical Abstract: In the context of sustainable tropical agriculture, an innovative corn (Zea mays L.) to silage-grass-legume intercropping system can promotes plant diversity, improves agronomic performance and land-use ef'ciency, and increases the yield of oversown black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] to silage in succession. Thus, during three growing seasons on a Typic Haplorthox in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, four treatments of a corn to silage production system were implemented in summer/autumn with black oat oversown in winter/spring: (1) corn intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha “Marandu”) and black oat overseeded in lines; (2) corn intercropped with palisade grass and black oat overseeded in a broadcast system with super'cial incorporation; (3) corn intercropped with palisade grass + pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and black oat overseeded in lines; and (4) corn intercropped with palisade grass + pigeon pea and black oat overseeded in a broadcast system with super'cial incorporation. During winter/spring, the black oat pastures were grazed by lambs, but results on forage allowance and nutritive value for animal grazing and on animal performance are not reported in the present manuscript. In the fourth growing season, the effect of soybean to silage intercropped with guinea grass (Panicum maximum “Aruana”), with only a residual effect of the four production systems from the previous three growing seasons, was evaluated. Despite greater interspeci'c competition of palisade grass and pigeon pea intercropped with corn, this more complex system produced better results. Thus, when analyzing this system as a whole, the triple intercrop (corn + pigeon pea + palisade grass) combined with oversown black oat in lines was the most effective option for silage production and for the improvement of other elements of system productivity, such higher surface mulch quantity, leaf nutrient concentrations, and yield of soybean to silage intercropped with guinea grass. This intercrop also generated better nutrient cycling because an increased quantity of nutrients was retained in standing plant residue and surface mulch, which resulted in better land- and nutrient-use ef'ciency, with an emphasis on nitrogen and potassium.