Benetoli da Silva

Initial development of crambe due to sowing in different depths

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the initial development of crambe due to sowing in different depths. The experiments were carried out in conditions of protected cultivation in two agricultural seasons. It was used as delimitation completely randomized, with five treatments characterized by sowing depth (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm), with five repetitions, totalizing 25 plots per experiment. The experiments were conducted in 3 L volume and 30 cm size plastic bags. The bags were previously filled with Latossolo Vermelho distrofico udico, a kind of oxisoil. The sowing was performed using ten crambe seeds per bag, and a pen was used to indicate the different depths in which seeds were sown for the treatments proposed. The plants were thinned 15 days after sowing, and only a plant was left per container. This plant was reference to the evaluations done. In the beginning of the period of blooming, three growing evaluations were started in which the plants were measured from the soil to the top of the plant. The dry matter of the plants was also calculated. It was verified that the ideal depth to sowing crambe is between 2 and 3 cm. Key words: Crambe abyssinica Hochst, sowing depth, thinning.

An agronomic and economic evaluation of lettuce cultivars intercropped with rocket over two cultivation seasons

The objective of this study was to investigate the agronomic and economic viability of lettuce intercropped with rocket over two cultivation seasons. The experimental designs were in randomized blocks in 3 × 3 + 2 factorial arrangement with four repetitions. The treatments were made up of a combination of three lettuce cultivars (Elisa, Veronica and Lucy Brown) and three cultivation systems (monocrop, intercrop with transplanted rocket and intercrop with seeded rocket) plus two other treatments (monocrop of seeded rocket and monocrop of transplanted rocket). Measurements of plant height were taken for the lettuce, number of leaves per plant were taken for both and stand count for the rocket. Total fresh matter per hectare was evaluated for both cultures. To evaluate the efficiency of the intercrop systems, the land equivalent ratio, total operating cost, gross revenue and economic results were determined. The intercropped rocket produced higher values for leaf area, and productivity and revenues were higher for the transplanted rocket mono cropping in both cultures. The characteristics of the lettuce were affected by the different cultivation systems and the treatments with loose-leaf lettuce, mainly in the first cultivation cycle, demonstrated higher productivity, land equivalent ratio and economic results compared to the lettuce mono cropping.

Agronomic performance of maize with different fertilizers in winter crop succession

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperate climate plant species and two different types of fertilizer on the yield components related to summer maize crop productivity in an area with a history of 5 years of soybean/black oat succession cropping in a no-tillage system in ArenitoCaiua, Northwestern Parana State, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in split blocks, with 6 blocks and 16 treatments (8 winter crops and 2 types of fertilizer). The maize hybrid used was DKB 390PRO. The following yield components were evaluated: plant height and height of first-ear insertion; final plant population; ear length and diameter; number of rows per ear, number of grains per row and number of grains per ear; weight of 100 grains and yield. It can be concluded that all succession systems are agronomically viable for maize production in the ArenitoCaiua region, in conjunction with adequate crop nutrition management, especially the winter common vetch/summer maize succession system fertilized with poultry litter which produced the best maize yield.