Based on the hypothesis that antecipating of nitrogen application can increase corn grain yield due to more N availability in the initial stages of development, field studies were conducted for three agricultural years (1996/97, 1997/98, and 1998/99) to evaluate different types of management of N application for corn cultivated after winter soil cover crops. This work was developed on a Hapludalf soil, at the experimental area of the Soil Science Departament at the Federal University of Santa Maria (RS, Brazil). […]

The association of conservation tillage with cover crops is an important tool for improving soil quality. When legumes are used as cover crops there is an increase in nitrogen (N) availability for the first crop in succession (immediate effect). However, the long term use of legumes as cover crop increases soil N availability (residual effect). This long-term experiment was carried out to evaluate the immediate effect and residual effect of cover crops on a Paleadulf from Rio Grande do Sul, […]