Phosphorus cycling by palisade grass intercropped with coffee tree

• Grant number: 18/02497-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2018
• End date: January 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Mazzafera
• Grantee: João Leonardo Corte Baptistella
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Coffee cultivation in Brazil is almost predominantly under full sunlight and with uncovered soil, what favors the development of stresses caused by high soil temperatures and low water availability. High temperature in the soil damages roots and consequently the entire plant development. Intercropping is a management alternative to reduce these negative effects. Palisade grass has been used by coffee growers as an intercropping species and, although empirically, the system proves itself viable. It has been noticed that this intercropping system decreases production loss in years of severe water stress. Also, there are reports of several benefits, such as soil covering, organic matter accumulation, soil aggregation, solubilization and nutrient cycling. The focus of this project is phosphorus cycling. In the intercropping system, the palisade grass is mowed, and the chopped leaves deposited under the coffee trees. Because palisade grass has a large and deep root system it might absorbs nutrients from zones that the coffee tree is unable to access, making them available after decomposition/mineralization and increasing the nutrient cycling to top layers of the soil. However, there is still controversy among coffee growers and researchers regarding the palisade grass intercropping benefits, and all alleged positive effect need to be verified and quantified. It is not known if nutrient cycling of deep zones by palisade grass does exist and what is its effectiveness. Here, with three experiments we want to verify the existence of P cycling in the coffee-palisade grass intercropping system as well as the magnitude of this process.

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BAPTISTELLA, JOAO LEONARDO CORTE; LLERENA, JUAN PABLO PORTILLA; DOMINGUES-JUNIOR, ADILSON PEREIRA; FERNIE, ALISDAIR ROBERT; FAVARIN, JOSE LAERCIO; MAZZAFERA, PAULO. Differential responses of three Urochloa species to low phosphorus availability. Annals of Applied Biology, APR 2021. (17/15939-1, 18/20572-2, 18/02497-3, 16/25498-0)

RODRIGUES, MAYARA; BAPTISTELLA, JOAO LEONARDO CORTE; HORZ, DANIELE CAROLINE; BORTOLATO, LAURA MINATEL; MAZZAFERA, PAULO. Organic Plant Biostimulants and Fruit Quality-A Review. AGRONOMY-BASEL, v. 10, n. 7, JUL 2020. (18/02497-3)

BAPTISTELLA, JOAO LEONARDO CORTE; LLERENA, JUAN PABLO PORTILLA; DOMINGUES-JUNIOR, ADILSON PEREIRA; FERNIE, ALISDAIR ROBERT; FAVARIN, JOSE LAERCIO; MAZZAFERA, PAULO. Differential responses of three Urochloa species to low phosphorus availability. Annals of Applied Biology, v. 179, n. 2, p. 216-230, SEP 2021. (16/25498-0, 17/15939-1, 18/02497-3, 18/20572-2)

CORTE BAPTISTELLA, JOAO LEONARDO; BETTONI TELES, ANA PAULA; FAVARIN, JOSE LAERCIO; PAVINATO, PAULO SERGIO; MAZZAFERA, PAULO. Phosphorus cycling by Urochloa decumbens intercropped with coffee. EXPERIMENTAL AGRICULTURE, v. 58, p. 16-pg., 2022-09-26. (18/02497-3)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

BAPTISTELLA, João Leonardo Corte. Phosphorus cycling by brachiariagrass intercropped with coffee tree. 2020. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC) Piracicaba.