Cultivo de hortaliças em sistema de plantio direto de base agroecológica

Abstract

The search for organic food has been growing, mainly due to actions towards sustainable development. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the effects of cover crops on the production of vegetables grown in the Vegetable Direct Planting System (SPDH) under agroecological-based organic management. The project was developed at the Organic Agriculture and Olericulture Research and Extension Teaching Unit (UNEPE) at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Santa Helena campus, in a randomized block design, with six treatments and three replications. The treatments used: Mucuna-preta (Mucuna aterrima); Jack beans (Canavalia ensiformis); Crotalaria ochroleuca (Crotalaria ochroleuca); Millet (Pennisetum glaucum); Fallow without turning; Conventional preparation. Initially, the cover crops were sown, and when they were in full bloom, they were mowed. Subsequently, broccoli (Brassica oleracea) was transplanted, and as a subsequent cultivation, stem zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) was sown on the crop residues of the cover crops. The plant parameters evaluated were: increase in dry matter (DM); decomposition rate using litter bags; and agronomic results of inflorescence base diameter (cm); culm diameter (cm); number of leaves; stem length (cm); inflorescence circumference (cm); fresh weight of inflorescence, leaves, stem and flowers (gplant-1); total productivity (kg ha-1) of broccoli and the parameters of fruit circumference and length (cm), average fruit weight (g) and total productivity per area (kg ha-1) of zucchini. Millet was the cover crop with the highest contribution of DM to the soil, with results of 14,585 kg ha-1, and mucuna-preta was the treatment with the lowest contribution with around 4,527 kg ha-1 of DM. Waste decomposition is slow and promising in the case of millet, jack beans and C. ochroleuca. In relation to broccoli and zucchini productivity, the best treatment was black mucuna. Considering the recent implementation of SPDH, the results were promising for broccoli cultivation. In this way, the positive effects of implementing cover crops and the conservationist use of natural resources brought balance and sustainability to the production system.