ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF CROPS ROTATION AND GREEN MANURING PRECEDING THE CULTIVATION OF NO-TILL SYSTEM CORN IN THE CERRADO

Abstract

In search of minimizing the environmental impacts of agricultural production it is necessary the use of techniques which make larger production sustainability possible and bring economic return to the producer. In this context, the present work had the objective to evaluate, in a typical Cerrado soil, the economic viability of crops rotation and green manure (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp; Crotalaria juncea (L.); Eleusine coracana (L.); Pennisetum americanum (L.)) or fallow land in the yield of corn cultivated in notill system. The production information used were collected in the 2003/2004 harvest, in a test carried out in Selvíria, Mato Grosso do Sul, and the costs of farm inputs and production price were obtained in September 2004. The method used was the Total Operational Cost. To determine the profit of the activity for each treatment were considered the gross revenue, the operational profit, the profitability index and the balance price. The corn in rotation system with soybean obtained larger grains yield and higher profitability. The use of green manure preceding the cultivation of the corn was proven economically viable, and the use of the C. juncea allowed larger economic return, without showing significant difference between the E. coracana and the P. americanumt.

Keywords

• covering crops
• Zea mays
• pigeon pea
• millet