SELEÇÃO DE PLANTAS DE COBERTURA PARA A SEGUNDA SAFRA DO CERRADO NO MUNICÍPIO DE CRISTALINA-GO

Abstract

In the Cerrado, the use of cover crops is even more important due to high levels of solar radiation, wind erosion and the increase in weed infestation. The implementation of crop systems with soil cover capacity must be evaluated using technical criteria, among which the main one encompasses the selection of plant species, which must be adapted to the climatic conditions of the respective region, as well as meeting to the desires of the rural producer. Given this scenario, the present work aimed to evaluate the production of biomass and dry matter from different cover crops. The design used was a randomized block design with 5 treatments and 6 replications. The treatments consisted of control (without coverage), Brachiaria brizanta, Sorghum sudanense, Crotalaria ochroeuca and MIX, each experimental plot was composed of 9 m2 of area (3 x 3m). The fresh matter and dry matter of plants and weeds were evaluated. To evaluate green biomass, a precision scale with 4 decimal places was used. To evaluate dry matter, the collected plants were placed in a greenhouse at 65 ºC for 72 hours. The collected data were subjected to analysis of variance at P<0.05. In treatments where a statistical difference was found, the Tukey test was applied at 5% probability using the Minitab® 18 statistical software. Coverage with Sorghum sudanense provided greater production of cover biomass. The MIX treatment reduced the richness and biomass of weeds in the area, thus helping to control them.