Influence of different winter soil cover plants and soil tillage systems on erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) productivity, in Ponta Grossa,PR

Abstract

Growing annual crops and erva-mate is one way of increasing farm revenue and reducing initial costs. Lines of erva-mate were planted 6 m apart from each other, in 1994. Starting on the winter of 1995, seven soil cover crops were seeded annually: Avena strigosa, C, Lollium multiflorum , Vicia pilosa L., Raphanus sativus L., plant mix and weeds ( test plot ). On summer of 1996, five soil tillage systems were tested growing soybean: minimum tillage (ripping), no tillage, conventional tillage, rotary tillage and animal tracking moldboard tillage. First pruning was performed in 1998, and production pruning started in 1999, and was repeated every two years. Soil sampling for chemical and physical analysis was done during the winter of 1996 and 2001. There was significant difference of ervamate yields for both tillage systems and soil cover crops. The highest production was obtained tilling the interrow with animal tracking moldboard plow (5,5 kg/plant) whose yield was different from all other tillage systems, except from conventional tillage, in the harvesting of the year 2001. The highest erva-mate yield (5,8 kg/plant in 2001) was obtained growing Lollium multiflorum as soil cover crop, and the lowest yield (3,3 kg/plant in 2001) was obtained letting normal weeds grow on the interrow. It was observed an increase in soil resistance measured on planting line compared to values obtained on the interrow.