An experiment was carried out from September 20th, 1999, to December 17th, 1999, at the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, in Dourados, Brazil, in a Dystrorthox soil, clay texture. The productivity of 'Superdoce' hybrid sweetcorn under population of 35.000 plants ha-1, in succession to 'Chinês', 'Japonês', 'Macaquinho', 'Cem/Um' and 'Branco' taro clones was evaluated. Plants were cultivated with the addition of 14 t ha-1 of semidecomposed poultry bedding (CFCSD) placed inside furrows, incorporated into the soil or as mulch. Plant height (228.1 cm) and first ear insertion height (79.1 cm) and stem diameter (2.5 cm) of sweetcorn were not influenced significantly by treatments of the previous crop. The highest ear number (44,553 ears ha-1) and the highest ear index (1.254) were obtained where CFCSD was incorporated into the soil for taro and where the 'Branco' taro clone was grown (43,902 ears ha-1), without interaction effect. The total ear weight with husk (11.9 t ha-1) where CFCSD was incorporated to the soil where taro was grown were 7.6 and 11.7% higher. The average ear weight was 0.3 kg, 4.0 and 4.3% lower when compared to those cultivated in soils with CFCSD as mulch and inside furrows, respectively. The total weight of ear without husk (9.6 t ha-1) performed identically to ear with husk, but was 17.9 and 21.1%, lower for CFCSD applied as mulch and inside furrows, respectively. The highest total yield of corn grains was 5.5 t ha-1 obtained in the area where CFCSD were incorporated into the soil grown with taro, 12.6 and 17.2% higher when compared to CFCSD applied inside furrows or as mulch, respectively.
Zea mays L.; Colocasia esculenta; crop rotation; yield
