Brachiaria and Panicum maximum in an integrated crop–livestock system and a second-crop maize system in succession with soybean

Abstract

Owing to its contribution to the maintenance of carbon stocks, soil nitrogen and nutrient cycling for subsequent crops, the integrated systems become increasingly important for agricultural conservation. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biomass production of and total nutrient in Brachiaria spp. and Panicum maximum forage grasses used as mulch and soybean yields in an integrated crop–livestock system and second-crop maize succession system. The treatments consisted of the following cropping systems: Xaraes palisadegrass intercropped with soybean, Congo grass intercropped with soybean, Mombaça guinea grass intercropped with soybean, Tamani guinea grass intercropped with soybean and a soybean/maize succession system. The forage grasses were established during the soybean R6–R7 stage. Compared with Congo grass, Xaraes palisadegrass, Mombaça guinea grass and Tamani guinea grass produced more biomass and equivalent amounts of fertilizer returned to the soil and resulted in greater nutrient cycling, indicating the benefits of these grasses for use as mulch in integrated production systems. Maize had a greater C/N ratio, but the forage grasses also exhibited high potential by protecting the soil until the end of the soybean development cycle. The use of an integrated crop–livestock system combined with a forage cropping system provided greater soil nutrient cycling than the maize cropping system did, which resulted in increased soybean yields, thus contributing to the sustainability of agricultural systems.

Soybean yield in integrated crop–livestock system in comparison to soybean–maize succession system

“…The N, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O fertilizer equivalents of the mulch biomass of the forage and maize cropping systems were determined considering the atomic mass of the elements according to analytical chemistry conventions and the N, P and K concentrations of the biomass analysed (Dias et al ., 2020).…”

“…For the success of the integrated crop–livestock system, it is necessary to choose the forages most adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the region, considering a balance between forage quality and yield. Currently, in Brazil, the most commonly used forage grasses in such systems are those of the genus Brachiaria (Guarnieri et al ., 2019; Silva et al ., 2019), and recently, due to the emergence of new Panicum maximum cultivars, this species has also been used (Machado et al ., 2017; Dias et al ., 2020). Thus, it is necessary to determine the potential of new forage species within integrated crop–livestock systems to produce forage in the off-season.…”

Effects of herbicide underdoses on the vegetative development of Panicum maximum cultivars

“…The genus Panicum has been gaining prominence for use as a cover crop or for forage production in integrated systems (Dias et al, 2020) mainly due to the release for commercialization of new cultivars of P. maximum BRS Tamani, BRS Quênia, and Zuri, which have shown positive results when used in integrated systems (Valote, 2018). Despite this, little is known regarding the suppression of growth of these cultivars when used in intercropping systems.…”

Editorial

“…For instance, livestock relies on feed that is grown in a cropping system, while the manure produced by livestock can be used as an organic fertilizer. Recent papers that integrate both crop and livestock include Da Silva et al (2019), who studied the impact of grazing on forage production and quality of Panicum maximum, and a study on an integrated crop-livestock system by Dias et al (2020). Pedersen et al (2020) reported on the value of animal slurries as a fertilizer.…”

“…(2019), who studied the impact of grazing on forage production and quality of Panicum maximum , and a study on an integrated crop-livestock system by Dias et al . (2020). Pedersen et al .…”