Carbon, light organic matter and oxidizable organic fractions in alley cropping system

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of total organic carbon (TOC) of the soil, light organic matter (LOM) in water and oxidizable fractions of organic carbon in a cultivated area of maize in the alleys Flemingia macrophylla under different managements of their shoot. The study area is located in "Agroecological Fazendinha in Seropédica city, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three treatments and eight replications, consisting of the following treatments: control (corn cultivation with no alleys); cultivation of maize in alley cropping with pruning to 0,6 m high and growing maize in alley cropping system without pruning. In each area composite samples were collected at 0-5 cm. The presence of alleys and, in the pruning Flemingia macrophylla found that this area is connected with the growing season does not change the contents of the TOC soil. However, the use of stems and leaves as green manure originating from the treatment was carried out where pruning of alleys Flemingia macrophylla, provided the soil increasing concentrations of LOM, C content of LOM and fraction F1.