Management of soil cover on banana crop and its effects on soil solution and evaluation of Ribeira de Iguape River water quality

• Grant number: 17/14420-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2017
• End date: April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Edson Shigueaki Nomura
• Grantee: Edson Shigueaki Nomura
• Host Institution: APTA Regional. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of plant species as soil cover has been used in agriculture, due to the concern with the degradation process of Brazilian soils. Other advantages include the protection of soil against climatic agents causing erosion, the control of spontaneous plants and the increase of the availability of nutrients linked to the organic matter supplied to the soil. The legumes have been more used to establish symbiotic association with bacteria fixing nitrogen and recovery of leached nitrogen from the deeper layers of the soil, resulting in the contribution of expressive amounts of this nutrient to crops planted in a consortium. The maintenance of vegetal cover on the soil in the area of cultivation possibly reduces losses of nutrients by leaching, due to its greater capacity of absorption and exploitation of greater area of the root system. However, little is known about the effects of soil cover management on banana cultivation in the Ribeira Valley region. This work aim to evaluate the effects of soil cover management on banana plants and its effects on soil solution and the impacts of banana fertilization on Ribeira de Iguape river water quality. The treatments will consist by six soil cover management systems: T1: Crotalaria spectabilis; T2: Crotalaria juncea; T3: Guandu forrageiro (Cajanus cajan); T4: Pork bean (Canavalis ensiformis), T5: spontaneous plants and; T6: not clean (witness). The plant spacing of the Grande Naine banana will be 2.0 m x 2.5 m (2,000 ha-1). The experimental design will be in randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications, with each four useful banana plants per plot. The development of banana plants, production, soil chemical attributes, nutritional state of banana plants and soil cover will be evaluated for two cycles. In the experimental area and in Ribeira de Iguape river soil solution and water samples will be evaluated by pH, electrical conductivity, potassium and nitrate contents. (AU)