Physico-chemical attributes of no-till Brassica crops cultivated after various cover crops

Abstract

Cauliflower and cabbage require high amounts of nutrients in short periods of time; however, the intensive use of inorganic fertilizers can cause nutritional imbalances in these crops and reduce the quality of the final product. This study evaluated the chemical composition and yield of no-till cauliflower and cabbage grown on residues of various cover crops in Uberaba, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four cover crops (sunn hemp, brachiaria, pearl millet and fallow) and two main crops (cauliflower and cabbage). The treatments were evaluated on plots of 20 m2 with four replications. The following traits were analyzed after harvest: moisture (MO), ash (ASH), lipid (LIP), crude fiber (CF), protein (PTN), carbohydrates (CARB), total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), pH, ascorbic acid (AA), head fresh weight (HFW), head dry weight (HDW) and yield. Cauliflower cultivated on sunn hemp residues produced high levels of LIP, PTN, CARB, TSS and TTA, whereas cauliflower cultivated on brachiaria and millet residues demonstrated high AA levels when compared to the treatment with sunn hemp residues. In the aerial part, cabbage presented significantly higher levels of CARB, TTA and AA when cultivated on brachiaria residues, whereas PTN levels were higher on sunn hemp residues. The cultivation of cauliflower and cabbage on cover crop residues affected positively most of the chemical attributes of the evaluated crops when compared to the fallow treatment, although the highest yield and AA levels were observed when the crops were cultivated on brachiaria residues.

Cover crops in the production of green and sweet corn

“…Pinho et al (2003) studied the physical and chemical parameters of specialty corn cultivars and obtained AA content of 9.6 to 11.5 mg 100 g -1 . Torres et al (2017) also reported a rise in AA levels when cauliflower and cabbage were grown on brachiaria residue.…”

“…According to Franco (2005), the chemical composition and energy content for every 100 g fresh sweet corn are 386.5 calories, 66.7 g of glycine, 11.62 g of PTN, and 8.1 g of LIP, lower than the PTN and LIP values recorded in the present study. Torres et al (2017) studied the chemical quality of brassica crops grown in the Cerrado on different cover crop residues and found higher PTN values for cauliflower cultivated with sunn hemp residue.…”

“…The yield of green and sweet corn as well as concentrations of sugar, starch, protein, lipids and other components of specialty corn varieties can vary according to the production factors and management system used. In brassica crops, Torres et al (2017) found that plants used as soil cover influenced the physicochemical quality of the harvested crop. However, despite increasing production and consumption of these vegetables in Brazil, most of the technical information available is related to yield variables.…”

“…However, despite increasing production and consumption of these vegetables in Brazil, most of the technical information available is related to yield variables. Research on physicochemical characteristics is scarce (Torres et al, 2017).…”

Cauliflower Cultivars Associated with Urochloa decumbens Straw Mulch in Integrated Weed Management

“…In organic farming systems, because of restrictions on the use of chemicals, mulching can be quite advantageous as a means of weed control (Resende et al, 2005). However, the type of mulch in use can influence weed management (Queiroga et al, 2002;Campiglia et al, 2010;Sediyama et al, 2010) and crop yield (Torres et al, 2017). Brachiaria has been noted for its easy establishment and considerable biomass production during the year, which results in excellent mulch (Timossi et al, 2007).…”