Author(s)

César Tiago Forte^1*, Amauri Nelson Beutler², Leandro Galon³, Camile Thais Castoldi³, Fábio Luís Winter³, Cinthia Maethê Holz³, Felipe Bianchessi³, Germani Concenço⁴, Leonardo Chechi¹, Matheus Martins Ferreira¹, André Andres⁴, Giovane Matias Burg¹

¹Plant Science Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil.
²Agronomy Department, Federal University of Pampa, Itaqui, Brazil.
³Agronomy Department, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, Erechim, Brazil.
⁴Agronomy Department, Embrapa Temperate Agriculture, Pelotas, Brazil.

The crop yield is related to several factors, among these, soil tillage, soil compaction and crop rotation. This study aimed to evaluate the winter cover crops and crop rotation influence on soil physical properties and grain yield of dry beans, maize and soybean for two growing seasons. Three experiments were conducted, corresponding to dry beans, maize and soybean crops. It was used the randomized block design with three treatments and four replications consisted by 3 × 10 m plots. The treatments were: two cover crops systems and crop rotation in no-till, and the control, consisting of winter fallow and conventional tillage. The cover crop dry matter, soil physical properties and grain yield for dry beans, maize and soybean in the two growing seasons were evaluated. Crop rotation systems and cover crops showed a trend to increase maize and soybean yields. Crop rotation in no-till increases soil compaction in the superficial layer compared to conventional tillage, but does not reduce the dry beans, maize and soybean yields.

No-Till, Tillage, Dry Matter, Intercropped, Bulk Density, Soil Compaction

Forte, C. , Beutler, A. , Galon, L. , Castoldi, C. , Winter, F. , Holz, C. , Bianchessi, F. , Concenço, G. , Chechi, L. , Ferreira, M. , Andres, A. and Burg, G. (2018) Soil Physical Properties and Grain Yield Influenced by Cover Crops and Crop Rotation. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 9, 584-598. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2018.94045.