The objective of this work was to verify the effects of different cover crops using legumes (pigeon pea, sunn hemp, jack bean and velvet bean) in monoculture and intercropped systems of grass (pearl millet), legumes/grass and a fallow area, on phytomass production and nutrient return. The experimental design was randomized blocks with ten treatments (pigeon pea, sunn hemp, jack bean, velvet bean, pearl millet, pigeon pea + pearl millet, sunn hemp + pearl millet, jack bean + pearl millet, velvet bean + pearl millet one more fallow area) and eight repetitions. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural year 2006/07, in the experimental area of UNESP-Campus de Ilha Solteira, Selvíria, MS, in soil previously occupied with cerrado vegetation. The production of plant green and dry mass, return of nutrients of the cover crops were calculated through the collection of 8 random samples of each cover crop. It was found significant differences among the crops both in monoculture and in intercropped system for each experimental unit. The combination that provided in the highest dry mass and nutrient return was velvet bean + pearl millet, followed by sunn hemp + pearl millet.
Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Brown; cover crops; no till; legumes; recycling of nutrients
