Production systems and their influence on the culture of out-of-season corn in no-tillage system

Abstract

The use of animal manure in agriculture coupled with the cultivation of cover crops can provide sustainability to agricultural systems. Aiming to evaluate the effect of cropping systems and nutrient sources in the culture of  corn, we conducted an experiment on Oxisol in no-tillage system in Marechal Cândido Rondon (Paraná,
Brazil). The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with four replications and treatments arranged in a 2 x 3 factorial consisting of two cropping systems (crop rotation and rotation with cover crops) and three nutrient sources (mineral, organic and organomineral). Organic and organomineral fertilization consisted of hen manure alone and combined with mineral fertilizer. This study describes  the effect of different production systems on the cultivation of out-of-season corn (2008 harvest) in an experiment set up in 2006. The cultivation of out-of-season corn in
rotation with cover crops enabled higher production of whole plant silage, but it did not affect grain yield. The nutrient sources did not affect the development of corn, both for silage and grain  production. The adoption of cover crops and organic fertilizers can
promote more sustainable production systems.