ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF BEET CROPS USING Calotropis procera BIOMASS AS SOIL FERTILIZER IN TWO GROWING SEASONS1

Abstract

The use of green manure from spontaneous species has gained prominence for vegetable crops focused on environmental sustainability and is an alternative method for the Semiarid region in the Northeast of Brazil. Two experiments were conducted in two growing seasons (autumn and spring-summer), in Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil, to evaluate the effects of different amounts of biomass of Calotropis procera (roostertree) and incorporation times on the agro-economic performance of beet crops. A randomized block experimental design was used, with three replications, in a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement; the first factor consisted of amounts of C. procera biomass (5.4, 8.8, 12.2, and 15.6 Mg ha-1 on a dry basis) and the second factor consisted of times of incorporation into the soil (0, 10, 20, and 30 days before planting beet). Commercial root yield, production costs, and the following economic indicators were determined: gross income, net income, return rate, and profitability index. The use of 15.6 Mg ha-1 of C. procera biomass resulted in the highest gross and net incomes and the use of 5.4 and 12.2 Mg ha-1 resulted in the best return rates and profitability indexes in autumn and spring-summer seasons, respectively; the planting time was considered as ideal for the biomass incorporation. The spring-summer growing season resulted in a higher economic return than the autumn growing season. The use of C. procera as a green manure for beet production is economically viable, regardless of the factors evaluated.

Optimized Production of Immature Cowpea Under Green Manuring in a Semi-Arid Environment

“…The need to increase its productivity, improve the quality of its product and reduce production costs makes it necessary to determine the interference of factors such as cultivar and organic fertilization (green manure) in researchers, extensionists and producers. Lately, the use of green manuring with spontaneous species from the Caatinga biome has been one of the management practices used in the organic cultivation of vegetables in the northeastern semi-arid region (SANTANA et al, 2021;SILVA et al, 2021a,b).…”