Intercropping sorghum and grasses during off-season in Brazilian Cerrado

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Abstract

ABSTRACT: Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) may be harmlessly intercropped with Urochloa species during the off-season in the Brazilian Cerrado. At the end of the sorghum cycle, forages can be used for straw production for soybean (Glycine max L.) as the summer crop. This study aimed to evaluate sorghum cultivated during the off-season, intercropped with palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. ‘Marandu’ (Hochst. ex A. Rich). R. D. Webster) and Congo grass (Urochloa ruziziensis (R. Germ. and Evrard) Crins) in two row spacings (0.5 and 0.7 m) for their effect on plant growth, dry mass production, sorghum yield and soybean grain yield. The experiment was a randomized block design: a 3 × 2 factorial scheme, with three levels of intercropping (palisade grass, Congo grass or sole cropping) and two levels of row spacing (0.5 or 0.7 m) with four replicates. Several physiological growth indexes were estimated from 10 to 60 days after emergence (DAE), including dry matter production and sorghum agronomic performance. Sorghum accumulated 0.22 g of dry matter d−1 at 10 to 60 DAE, and was not affected by intercropping. The dry mass gain of forages (0.04 g d−1 on average) was not affected by sorghum either. Higher sorghum grain yield (2,922 kg ha−1) was observed under the 0.5-m row spacing when compared to the 0.7-m spacing. The results indicate that palisade or Congo grass may be used as companion crops for sorghum with no grain yield loss, be it to improve soybean grain yield, soil cover or integrated crop systems, aiming at sustainable intensification.

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Clayton Alcarde Alvares, José Stape, Paulo Sentelhas … (2013)

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Factors modulating the levels of the allelochemical sorgoleone in Sorghum bicolor.

Franck E. Dayan (2006)

Sorgoleone is the major component of the hydrophobic root exudate of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. The presence of this allelochemical is intrinsically linked to root growth and the development of mature root hairs. However, factors modulating root formation and the biosynthesis of sorgoleone are not well known. Sorgoleone production was independent of early stages of plant development. The optimum temperature for root growth and sorgoleone production was 30 degrees C. Seedling development and sorgoleone levels were greatly reduced at temperatures below 25 degrees C and above 35 degrees C. The level of sorgoleone was also sensitive to light, being reduced by nearly 50% upon exposure to blue light (470 nm) and by 23% with red light (670 nm). Applying mechanical pressure over developing seedlings stimulated root formation but did not affect the biosynthesis of this lipid benzoquinone. Sorgoleone production did not change in seedlings exposed to plant defense elicitors. On the other hand, sorgoleone levels increased in plants treated with a crude extract of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) root. This stimulation was not associated with increased osmotic stress, since decreases in water potential (Psi(w)) by increasing solute concentrations with sorbitol reduces sorgoleone production. Sorgoleone production appears to be constitutively expressed in young developing sorghum plants. Other than with temperature, changes in the environmental factors had either no effect or caused a reduction in sorgoleone levels. However, the stimulation observed with velvetleaf root crude extract suggests that sorghum seedlings may respond to the presence of other plants by releasing more of this allelochemical.