Revista Brasileira de Milho e Sorgo (Dec 2004)
SOWING TIMES AND SHOOT PART CUT HANDLING INFLUENCE ON MILLET CROP PERFORMANCE
Abstract
The experiment was carried out at FCA/UNESP in Botucatu-SP, with the objective of evaluating the influence of the sowing times and the handling of the pearl millet cultivated under rainfed conditions. The experiment was arranged in split-plot experimental design with four replications, being the main plots represented by three pearl millet sowing times (25/04, 15/05 and 06/06/02), and the sub-plot by the shoot part cut handling as follows: cuts after each flowering and removal of the residues, cuts after each flowering and no removal of the residues from the surface of the soil, cuts only in the first flowering and removal of the residues, cuts only in the first flowering and no removal of residues from the surface of the soil and no cuts. We evaluated the productivity of dry matter of pearl millet shoot part and the percentage of soil covering. In agreement with the obtained results, it can be concluded that: the autumn/winter pearl millet crop sowing for the production of dry mass is viable for no-tillage system and for animal feeding; the first sowing date and the cut to each flowering shoot part of pearl millet promoted larger yield of total dry mass; the time of sowing had significant importance in the production of dry mass and was no obstacle for considerable occurrence of soil covering.
