The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Station of Bebedouro-SP (EECB), to evaluate the production of green manure and incorporated nutrients to soil by inter-cropping Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria spectabilis, Cajanus cajan, Mucuna aterrima, Mucuna deeringiana, Dolichos labe-labe and Canavalia ensiformis, in the agricultural years of 89/90, 90/91, 91/92 and 92/93, in the orchard of 'Pera' (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), grafted on Cleópatra mandarin (Citrus reshi Hort.), planted in May of 1987 and spaced at 7x5 m. The average crop of cultivated species in the four years of study was: 6,55; 1,23; 3,42; 1,78; 1,75; 1,61 and 3,03 t/ha of dry matter, respectively, considering the cultivation only at the middle of the citros orchard (50% of the total area). The chemical analysis of the material, revealed a considerable incorporation of N, P2O5, K2O, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Mn and Zn by leguminous plants, where we consider a parcel of the N comes from the atmospheric symbiotic fixation in the leguminous plants and the remaining and other nutrients comes from the recycling process of nutrients of soil, that are absorbed by the leguminous plants of the sub-superficial and incorporated in surface of the soil, where they will be again available to citrus plants. C. juncea produced the highest amount of biomass and incorporation of nutrients, followed by the C. cajan and C. ensiformis.
Citrus sinensis; leguminous plant; Crotalaria juncea; Crotalaria spectabilis; Cajanus cajan; Mucuna aterrima; Mucuna deeringiana; Dolichos labe-labe; Canavalia ensiformis
