YIELD OF MAIZE-BRACHIARIA BRIZANTHA INTERCROPPING AFFECTED BY FERTILIZER LOCATION AND APPLICATION OF HERBICIDE

Abstract

The maize-brachiaria brizantha intercropping (Zea mays-Brachiaria brizantha) is the technology ofgreatest interest in crop-livestock integration. In order to study this intercropping system, different base fertilizationstrategies were evaluated (intra and inter-row of maize) and also the use of suboptimal doses of herbicide to control theBrachiaria growth in soil with improved fertility. Growth and yield of maize were not affected neither by intercroppingwith Brachiaria, even without chemical control of the grass, nor by the location of the fertilizer. On the other hand,the growth of signal grass was lower when intercropped and presented lower growth within the maize row comparedto plants cultivated inter-rows. The herbicide delayed Brachiaria growth. The greatest growth of inter-row Brachiariacompared to that of intra-rows was attributed to the lower pressure exerted by maize and to the inter-row fertilization. Theresults allow to recommend (to chemically recovered soil), the base fertilization of maize-Brachiaria intercropping at theproportion 33.3-33.3-33.3% or 25-50-25% at planting furrows and only side-fertilization for Brachiaria, for integratedcrop-livestock, rather than the current recommendation of 100% of the fertilizer in the row of corn (00-100-00).

Keywords

• localized fertilization
• intercropping
• fertilization
• crop-livestock integration
• Zea mays