Alley cropping has been recommended as alternative land use to slash-and-burn agriculture in humid tropics. However, interespecific competition between cash crop and hedgerow can reduce this potential. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of maize crop in a leguminous tree alley cropping. A random block experimental design was adopted, with four replicates and five treatments: alleys of "sombreiro" (Clitoria fairchildiana), inga (Inga edulis), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) and a control treatment without alley. C and N partitioning, grain yield, 1000 grain mass and interspecifics competition between maize varieties and legume hedgerows were evaluated. Grain yield was higher for C. fairchildiana and L. leucocephala treatments. The grain yield of hibrid maize was higher than that of maize variety at all treatments. The grain yield and 1000 grain mass maize was not affected by distance of legume hedgerows. This study concluded that the alley cropping with leguminous tree is an important alternative to the sustainable management of agroecosystems in humid tropics. Furthermore, in this region, the productivity of maize grain is favored in alley cropping with leguminous trees, like sombreiro, inga and leucena by genotypes efficient in the use of nitrogen, whose timing between its release and absorption when applied by means of pulses, must be enhanced.
Zea mays; sustainability; productivity; synchrony
