The no-tillage (NT) management is widely used in the Cerrado region, but some questions remain unanswered, for example about the need of liming and adequate nitrogen rates for commercial crops when preceded by cover crops. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of precedent cover crops on the maize demand for nitrogen fertilization and forms of liming preceding the adoption of no-tillage management (NT) in different growing seasons. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block factorial design 5 x 2 (liming forms x cover crops) and later divided into three subplots representing the N rates (0, 90 and 180 kg ha-1). Four liming forms were evaluated: lime rate incorporated in the 0 - 0.2 m soil layer in Oct/2001; total dose applied on the surface in Oct/2001; 1/2 amount applied in Oct/2001 and 1/2 in Aug/2002 on the surface; and 1/3 of the recommended dose applied in Mar/2001 + 1/3 in Oct/2001 + 1/3 in Aug/2002, all on the soil surface; plus a control treatment (no lime) and two cover crops (sunn hemp and millet). Maize grain yield was not affected by the different liming forms. Sunn hemp proved more efficient than millet as cover crop preceding maize.
Crotalaria juncea; Pennisetum americanum; liming; no-tillage
