An alley cropping system with gliricidia was established in an organic orchard of mango and soursop trees at one year after the planting of the fruit trees, in Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ-Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the survival and performance of the gliricidia in the alley cropping in relation to the production of dry fitomass and the nutrient supply to the system. Gliricidia showed high survival rates (93%). The annual average of dry fitomass yield and the addition of nutrients to the system were greater in the second year of evaluation (2007) than in the first year (2006), both with three annual prunings that adjusted with the recommended periods of fruit trees fertilization, in special the soursop tree. The quantity of N added to the orchard with gliricidia prunes was higher than the recommended fertilization for mango and soursop tree plots. On the other hand, quantities of P and K added to the orchard were not enough to supply the fertilization demanded for both cultures. Gliricidia presented good performance under the experiment conditions, with potential for continuous use in the system and possibility of using nutrients supplied by the fruit trees into the system. However, further long term evaluations are necessary to verify the sustainability of the intercropping.
Alley Cropping system; Gliricidia sepium; Green manure
