Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius [Poepp.] H. Rob., Asteraceae) is an Andean plant being explored as a functional food, due to high concentrations of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a natural sweetener capable of reducing blood lipids and glucose levels, supporting prevention of chronic diseases, such as diabetes. Yacon commercial production is still being established, thus cropping practices and their impact on profitability are yet poorly explained. Improved planting recommendations are demanded, as it affects crop yield. In this background, a field trial was conducted to determine row spacing and plant populations for yacon production in tropical highland areas. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, in a split-plot scheme, where blocks were three row spacings (0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 m) and subplots covered three spacings between plants (0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 m), with four replicates. At harvest time, evaluations on accumulation of dry mass in the plant and tuber root production data (number, weight, total productivity, and per class) were made. Profitability indicators were estimated (gross income, operational profit, and benefit-cost ratio). Data suggest productive and economic variations among tested planting configurations, as an example higher productivity (31.5 t ha -1 ) and positive benefit-cost ratio (2.51) when using 1.0 m between rows and 0.4 m between plants for the conditions tested. These results point out the prospect to select better crop management practices for yacon, cutting costs, and increasing yield. Another key find was yacon's capacity to overcome intense drought and temperature stress, not previously documented for this crop. Therefore, yacon is a new crop with potential to boost farming income through crop diversification.

The work consisted of the morpho agronomic evaluation of coffee crop under the influence of intercropping with different types of green manures. The experiment was carried out in the Southern Region of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The experimental plot consisted of five plants per experimental unit, using the clone "Incaper 8142" Conilon Vitória, intercropping with different types of green manure plants, which were: guandu beans (Cajanus cajan), pig bean (Canavalia ensiformis), mucuna preta (Mucuna Pruriens) and Mexican margaridão (Tithonia diversifolia) in addition to a control treatment without green manure. The planting consisted of rows adjacent and located in the “upper interline” meaning is not clear of the coffee crop. The morpho agronomic characteristics evaluated were: plant height, orthotropic branch diameter, plagiotropic branch diameter, number of leaves, number of nodes, number of orthotropic branches, number of plagiotropic branches and productive nodes e productivity green coffee kg/ha, besides the main dependent: The characteristics of greatest direct contribution were number of nodes and number of productive nodes. The species of green fertilizer Mexican Margaridão (Tithonia diversifolia) provided a negative effect on the main variables related to production, and is not recommended for interplanting with robusta coffee.

Using maize seedlings for baby corn production can benefit farmers who have small areas under cultivation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using maize seedlings for the production of baby corn. The experiment was carried out in field with four treatments (direct sowing in field; transplanting seedlings 10 days after sowing (DAS); 20 DAS and 30 DAS) in randomized blocks with eight replications. Plants from seedlings 30 DAS were higher than sowing direct in field. Direct sowing in field and seedlings 30 DAS resulted in the largest stands. Sowing direct in field and transplanting seedlings at 20 and 10 DAS presented the highest number of total and commercial ears, while crops obtained from direct sowing in field yielded higher compared to the crops in which seedlings were used. Crops from maize seedlings transplanted at 10, 20 and 30 DAS reduced the period of maize plants in field by 14, 22 and 28 days, respectively, compared to maize sown directly in field. However, baby corn from direct sowing yielded 37% more than those in which seedlings were used. We concluded that the use of maize seedlings caused reduction in baby corn productivity however, it presents the advantage of reducing the permanence of the maize plants in field.

Yacon is a tuberous root cultivated in mild climate regions with high altitudes, but the crop shows the capacity to develop at low altitudes. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth rates and the partition of photoassimilates in yacon plants under different levels of artificial shading. The experiment was conducted in four shading levels (0%, 30%, 50% and 70%), and seven monthly harvests in a completely randomized design. We evaluated the accumulation of total dry mass on the whole plant and its parts; leaf area; leaf area ratio; leaf mass fraction; stem mass fraction; rhizophores mass fraction; tuberous roots mass fraction; estimates of relative growth rate, absolute growth, and net assimilation. The lower accumulation of total dry biomass and the lowest growth rates indicate that conditions of noticeable light restriction (70% shading) restrict the growth of yacon. Yacon plants grown under moderate shading levels (30 to 50%) showed greater capacity of accumulation of total biomass, directing part of this biomass to the tuberous roots, which directly reflects gains in the agronomic productivity of this crop, indicating that yacon has the potential to be associated with other crops, which promote a moderate shading.

Agroforestry consortia increase organic matter and nutrient cycling in agricultural systems. For this reason, the objective of this work was to study the release rate of nutrients and the decomposition of different organic residues, two times of the year, obtained from four cultures intercropped with conilon coffee, aiming to relate the released nutrients to the coffee needs. The decomposition of organic matter residues and the release of nutrients from Inga edulis, Musa spp, Gliricidia sepium, and Bactris gasipaes were evaluated in two different periods. I. edulis residues with a higher amount of polyphenols, and those of Musa spp, with a higher C/N ratio, showed slow decomposition. The decomposition rates were lower in experiments started in March and higher in August. Inga and banana have high residual values of nutrients at 270 days in the decomposition started in March.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fresh mass of scarlet eggplant (kg/pl) and the number of leaves of chicory (nºf/pl) in relation to the spacing used by the farmers of the region for both crops. The experiment evaluated these crops under intercropping cultivation system, varying the number of chicory rows between scarlet eggplant rows as well as harvests (cycle of each crop), for intercropping and monocropping systems. The treatments were T1= scarlet eggplant 0.7x1.1 m (monocropping); T2= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.5 m, with four rows of chicory, 0.2x0.2 m between rows; T3= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.1 m, with three rows and chicory, 0.2x0.2 m; T4= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.3 m, with four rows of chicory, 0.2x0.2 m; T5= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.3 m, with three rows of chicory, 0.2x0.2 m; T6= chicory 0.2x0.1x0.4 m in two double rows, 0.2 m between rows, 0.1 m between plants and 0.4 m between double rows in 1.5 m linear area (monocropping) and T7= chicory 0.2x0.3 m with three simple rows in an 1.5-m area (monocropping). The experimental design was of strip blocks, in a 5x16 factorial scheme, consisting of five spacings of scarlet eggplant (monocropping), 1.5x0.7 m, 1.3x0.7 m and 1.1x0.7 m, alternating the number of chicory rows between rows and 16 harvests in time, once a week. For chicory, the design was also in a 6x12 factorial scheme, with six spacings. The spacing 0.2x0.2 m was intercropped with scarlet eggplant, alternating the number of rows and two monocroppings 0.2x0.1x0.4 m in double rows and 0.2x0.3 m with 12 harvests in time, being performed one harvest per week along with the scarlet eggplant. Intercropped scarlet eggplant in spacing 0.7x1.5 m showed higher averages in some harvests followed by spacing 0.7x1.3 m with four chicory rows between rows. Spacings 0.2x0.1x0.4 m and 0.2x0.3 m were the ones which provided the best averages for chicory crop, except for the 5th harvest, in which spacing 0.2x0.2 m consisting of four chicory rows provided the highest average (5.7 leaves/plant). Regardless of monocropping and intercropping arrangement used for chicory the Area Equivalence Index (IEA) was over 1.6.

Resumo: O experimento foi realizado no Setor de Agroecologia do Ifes Campus de

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a relação custo/benefício e a viabilidade econômica do consórcio adubação verde em café conilon (Coffea canephora). O experimento consistiu-se em cinco consócios (tratamentos) de café com leguminosas, a saber: café + feijão guandu (Cajanu cajans L.); café + mucuna preta (Stizolobium aterrimum); café + feijão de porco (Canavalia ensiformis); café + margaridão mexicano (Tithonia diversifolia) e café solteiro (solo capinado). As avaliações foram feitas em 10 plantas de café por tratamento. O experimento foi conduzido em faixa, com o plantio das leguminosas nas entrelinhas. Custo Total CT = CFT + CVT, Custo operacional COP = CT – CO, Custo fixo médio CFMe = CFT/Q, Custo variável médio CVMe = CVT/Q, Custo total médio CTMe = CT/Q, Custo operacional médio CopMe = COp/Q, Renda bruta total RBT = PxQ, Renda líquida total RLT = RBT – CT, Renda líquida operacional Rlop = RBT – COP, Rentabilidade RT = RLT/Investimento x 100, Lucratividade LC = RLT/RBTx100, Ponto de nivelamento PN = CT/preço de mercado, Margem de segurança MS = RBT/RBTx100. O tratamento que se destacou foi o Margaridão mexicano, apresentando maior renda líquida na atividade econômica, permitindo uma oscilação tanto na produção quanto na comercialização da saca de café, sendo o mais recomendado. No segundo ano de avaliação, de forma geral, a adubação verde, apresentaram uma melhor rentabilidade e possuindo uma melhor produção comparado aos demais tratamentos. Nos Três anos de experimento, os adubos verdes proporcionaram maior produção em comparação ao tratamento Testemunha, com destaque para o Margaridão mexicano, nos anos de 2017 e 2018.