An alternative to supply the annual input of straw required to maintain the no-tillage system (SPD) in the tropics is the cultivation of maize intercropped with Urochloa. In order to identify the best cropping system of two forage species (Urochloa brizantha and Urochloa ruzizienses) intercropped with maize (Zea mays L.) in no tillage system, the present study was conducted. Maize was seeded intercropped with forage in five cropping systems. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in factorial scheme (2x4+1) with four replications. There were evaluated: dry mass of maize straw, dry mass of urochloa straw, total dry mass of straw, maize plant population, mass of 1000 grain and grain yield. The results showed that maize intercropped with urochloa had no negative effect on grain yield and increased the input of dry matter in the production system under no-tillage system. The choice of a particular cropping system depends on the management and availability of machines, since all systems showed positive behavior in respect of grain yield and straw production.
straw; soil cover; crop rotation
