Use of mulches and their effects on the radish crop

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of green fertilization and the compost on the production of radish, cv. ‘Cometa’. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 6 treatments and 4 replicates: T1-Leucaena, T2-‘Madeira-nova’, T3-Compost (maize straw and composted cattle manure), T4-‘Sempre verde’ grass + compost and T5-‘Sempre verde’ grass and T6-control without fertilization, totaling 24 experimental plots. The total area of the experimental plot was 1.44 m2, with useful area of 0.80 m2 and 21.0 t ha-1 of fertilizer (dry basis) were incorporated in each treatment. The radish crop was directly sown in the beds, in 2-to 3-cm-deep holes, leaving one plant at spacing of 20 cm between rows and 5 cm between plants. Twenty-nine days after planting, plants were evaluated for total yield, commercial yield, percentages of commercial roots (%) and waste roots (%), fresh and dry matter of shoots and roots, total and individual leaf area and the SPAD index. The incorporation of Leucaena at the amount of 21.0 t ha-1 (dry basis) promoted the highest increments for the analyzed characteristics.