Palisadegrass effects on N fertilizer dynamic in intercropping systems with corn

Rodrigo E M DE Almeida, Silas M DE Oliveira, Bruno C Lago, Clovis P, Paulo C O Trivelin, José L Favarin

Corn grain yield, nitrogen (N) fertilizer efficiency and distribution to corn alone and three forms of corn and palisadegrass (Urochloa spp.) intercropping implantation was investigated. A field experiment with 15N labeling fertilizer was performed in randomized block design. No form of palisadegrass intercropping implantation affected corn grain yield, total N accumulation and N use efficiency (NUE), which were 8.7 t ha-1, 205 kg ha-1 and 37% respectively. The palisadegrass produced on average 1.9 t of dry mass, absorbing a maximum of 6 kg ha-1 or 5.5% of N fertilizer during corn growing. Furthermore, the palisadegrass did not affect N fertilizer distribution in soil-plant system, in which 28.2% was recovered in the soil and 40.4% in the plants (corn + palisadegrass). The results show that for the three intercropping implantation methods the palisadegrass did not compete with corn for N fertilizer.