In organic farming systems, the proper management of organic manure and nitrogen cycling strategies are very important to improve soil fertility and increase productivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the green manure in pre-cropping, associated with organic compost with different nitrogen levels, on soil chemical properties and yield of cabbage and green corn crops in succession, from 2009 to 2012. The experimental design was a randomized blocks design in a split-plot with three replications. The plots consisted of two treatments (with and without leguminous) and the subplots consisted of five treatments with fertilization systems based on compost of different nitrogen levels: 1) Unfertilized (control); 2) Compost with 1.5% N; 3) Compost with 2.0% N; 4) Compost with 2.5% N; 5) Compost with 3% N. Green manuring with leguminous in pre-crops improved crop development cabbage and green corn, increased the levels of P and H + Al and reduced the levels of K, Mg and soil pH. The calcium content, sum of bases, cations exchange capacity and soil organic matter were not modified by green manuring. The fertilization with organic compost with higher levels of N provided elevations in the levels of P, K, Mg and T linearly and soil organic matter in a quadratic model. Plants fertilized with organic composts of higher levels of N increased the commercial yields in 92.4% for cabbage and 23.1% for green corn. Green manure, when associated with composts with 3% N, increased cabbage yield by 19.2% and the green corn on 4.5%.
Brassica oleracea var. capitata, Zea mays, soil fertility; leguminous.
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