Title:	Maize-Urochloa grass intercropping: an option for improving sustainable agriculture in the Brazilian Savannah.
Authors:	SOUZA, V. S. FERREIRA, J. B. G. SANTOS, D. de C. GRESCHUK, L. T. SCHIEBELBEIN, B. E. BORTOLO, L. de S. GONÇALO, T. P. FIALHO, A. R. SOUZA, S. O. de PAIM, T. do P. ALMEIDA, R. E. M. de VILELA, L. CHERUBIN, M. R.
Affiliation:	VICTÓRIA SANTOS SOUZA, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; JAQUELINE BALBINA GOMES FERREIRA, INSTITUTO FEDERAL GOIANO; DARLIANE DE CASTRO SANTOS, INSTITUTO FEDERAL GOIAIANO; LUCAS T. GRESCHUK, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; BRUNA EMANUELE SCHIEBELBEIN, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO; LARISSA DE SOUZA BORTOLO, FUNDAÇÃO DE APOIO À PESQUISA AGROPECUÁRIA DE MATO GROSSO; TULIO PORTO GONÇALO, GROWER - CONHECIMENTO AGRONÔMICO; ARLINI RODRIGUES FIALHO; STÉFANY OLIVEIRA DE SOUZA, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL PAULISTA "JÚLIO DE MESQUITA FILHO"; TIAGO DO PRADO PAIM, INSTITUTO FEDERAL GOIANO; RODRIGO ESTEVAM MUNHOZ DE ALMEIDA, CNPASA; LOURIVAL VILELA, CPAC; MAURÍCIO ROBERTO CHERUBIN, UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO.
Date Issued:	2025
Citation:	Experimental Agriculture, v. 61, e17, 2025.
Description:	Intercropping annual cash crops with grasses is a strategy that promotes both diversification and intensification of production in the same area, contributing to sustainable food systems. This study evaluated the impact of intercropping maize with different Urochloa species on maize and subsequent soybean yields over three years in the Brazilian Savannah. The treatments included: (1) maize monoculture; (2) maize intercropped with Urochloa ruziziensis; (3) maize intercropped with U. brizantha cv. Marandu; and (4) maize intercropped with U. brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás. The evaluations included maize grain yield, land equivalent ratio (LER), forage biomass and soybean yield in succession. The results confirmed that maize intercropped with U. brizantha cv. Marandu and U. brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás achieved grain yields comparable to monoculture. Demonstrating that these forage species do not significantly compete with maize in 2018 and 2019 in Montividiu and 2018 and 2020 in Rio Verde. In Montividiu, intercropping with U. brizantha cv. BRS Paiaguás resulted in an average LER of 1.13 over three years, highlighting its advantage in optimising land use. In addition, the intercropping system was particularly beneficial in sandy soils, where faster biomass decomposition accelerated improvements in soil structure, moisture retention, and nutrient availability, leading to earlier benefits in soybeans grain yield compared to clay soils. These findings emphasise the potential of maize-forage intercropping to enhance land-use efficiency and soil health while maintaining crop yields in tropical agroecosystems. However, site-specific management is essential to maximise benefits and minimise trade-offs. Future research should focus on long-term soil health dynamics and refining intercropping strategies to improve sustainability in different environmental conditions.
Thesagro:	Solo Consorciação de Cultura Pastagem Consorciada Milho Soja Capim Urochloa
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479725100070
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CNPASA)