Cover crop residues mobilize cations and benefit the action of lime applied on the soil surface owing to the release of low molecular weight organic acids from the soluble fraction of residues. However, these effects in no-till system are yet to be confirmed in field studies. A five-year trial was carried out on a no-till dystrophic Rhodic Hapludox in Ponta Grossa, State of Paraná, Brazil, with the aim of evaluating changes in chemical soil attributes, as well as the corn and soybean response to surface application of dolomitic lime (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 t ha-1), with and without black oat cover. Lime rates were applied onto the main plots in November 2000 and the treatments on the subplots consisted of the presence or absence of black oat in 2001 and 2002, preceding corn and soybean crops. Surface-applied lime did not influence the dry matter yield of black oat, which was approximately 4 t ha-1 in both 2001 and 2002 years. Liming did not affect the H+ ions neutralizing capacity (482 mmol c dm-3), the sum of soluble cations (29.5 mmol c L-1) or electric conductivity (1,230 µS cm-1) of the black oat extract either. Liming applied on the soil surface decreased exchangeable Al3+ and increased pH, exchangeable Ca2+ and exchangeable Mg2+ down to a 10 cm depth. Black oat residue on the soil surface under no-till did not benefit the mobility of surface-applied lime to alleviate subsoil acidity. Surface application of lime did not affect corn mineral nutrition or corn and soybean yields, but decreased Zn and Mn concentrations in soybean leaves. Cover black oat residue raised the P, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the corn and N and P in the soybean leaves and caused a decrease of Mn concentration in the soybean leaves. The black oat cover on the soil surface increased corn yield, but did not affect soybean yield, grown under no-till after corn.
acidity; subsoil; dolomitic limestone; plant residue; Glycine max (L.) Merrill; Zea mays L.; mineral nutrition
