The no-tillage cropping system is widely adopted in the Brazilian savannah region (cerrado). However, the continuous use of this system under tropical conditions with insufficient mulching and successive superficial fertilizations, can alter soil chemical and physical properties, causing problems of soil compaction and excessive accumulation of nutrients in the soil surface layer, decreasing the yield potential. The present study had as main objective to verify the effect of four systems (no tillage; heavy harrowing; deep chiseling and deep moldboard plowing) of soil management associated with three levels of phosphorus and potassium fertilization (no fertilizer application, recommended fertilization, reposition of nutrients removed by grains) on the yield of corn, soybean, bean and rice crops in area submitted to eight years of no-tillage. The experiments of corn, soybean, upland rice and bean were conducted using a randomized complete block design, in strip plots with four replications on a Oxisol of high fertility. Soil management or fertility did not affect soybean yield while moldboard plowing significantly increased corn, rice and common bean yields. The bean crop also showed positive effects of phosphorus and potsassium applications.
no-tillage; yield; corn; soybean; common bean; upland rice