Potential of intercropping maize with cover legumes to promote the recovery of degraded pasture area

• Grant number: 24/16957-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Regular Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Karina Batista
• Grantee: Karina Batista
• Host Institution: Instituto de Zootecnia. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Nova Odessa , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Laíze Aparecida Ferreira Vilela

Abstract

The recovery of degraded pasture areas is one of the mechanisms for resilience to climate change. Brazil has sought to neutralize the degradation of its pasture areas by cultivating grain-producing plants in a no-till system. However, grain cropping systems are not yet well established for these areas, which generally have low water retention capacity, phosphorus content, organic matter and nitrogen supply for plants. In this context, the aim will be to evaluate the potential of using cover legumes intercropped with summer maize for grain production and adaptation to climate change in a degraded pasture area. The experiment will be installed in a degraded pasture area. The treatments are four summer maize cultivation systems: 1- single maize; 2- maize intercropped with Crotalaria spectabilis; 3- maize intercropped with Canavalia ensiformis; and 4- maize intercropped with Mucuna pruriens. The experimental design is randomized blocks with four replications. Single maize will be planted in the second crop. The following will be evaluated: nitrogen diagnosis in maize (N concentration and SPAD value); dry biomass production; macronutrient concentration; nitrogen content and soil biological attributes; macronutrient concentration; and cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content in the residues of the intercropping. The effects of the treatments will be evaluated in the summer and second maize crops. The means of the main crop effects will be compared by the Tukey test, and regression analysis will be performed when necessary. (AU)