Abstract
Modern agriculture faces the challenge of increasing production without expanding cultivated areas, promoting sustainable practices that ensure food security and environmental preservation. Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLSs) stand out as an effective strategy, diversifying and intensifying agricultural production in a sustainable manner, ensuring adequate soil cover, and improving nutrient cycling efficiency. Thus, this study aimed to explore and compare integrated crop–livestock systems with Zuri guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv. BRS Zuri) and Quênia guinea grass (Panicum maximum cv. BRS Quênia) against the conventional soybean/maize succession method in a tropical region, and how these systems affect biomass decomposition, C:N ratio, nutrient cycling, and fertilizer equivalents. A field experiment was conducted in two phases: the first in the second-crop season and the second in the main season, using a randomized block design with four replicates. The treatments consisted of two ICLS systems, one with Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses established after soybean, and a succession system with maize established after soybean. The results indicated that Quênia guinea grass showed greater desiccation efficiency, with an injury rate of 86.5% at 21 days, 8.5% higher compared to Zuri guinea grass. In terms of biomass, Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses had average productions of 7021.1 kg ha−1, which was 43.25% higher compared to maize biomass. The biomass decomposition of the grasses was faster due to their lower C:N ratio, resulting in greater nutrient release into the soil. Both forage grasses (Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses) are suitable for integrated crop–livestock systems, as they showed similar biomass production and nutrient accumulation. Soybean yield was not influenced by the different cropping systems, showing similar results between the biomass of Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses and maize. However, grass biomass enriches the soil more through the return of fertilizer equivalents, which in future studies could be considered for the reduction of mineral fertilizers, ensuring greater sustainability of agricultural systems.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Quênia guinea grass had 86.5% desiccation injury at 21 days, 8.5% higher than Zuri.
Verbatim
e0“Quênia guinea grass showed greater desiccation efficiency, with an injury rate of 86.5% at 21 days, 8.5% higher compared to Zuri guinea grass.”
Claim · model-written summary
The two guinea grasses averaged 7021.1 kg ha−1 biomass, 43.25% higher than maize.
Verbatim
e0“Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses had average productions of 7021.1 kg ha−1, which was 43.25% higher compared to maize biomass.”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass biomass decomposed faster because of a lower C:N ratio.
Verbatim
e0“The biomass decomposition of the grasses was faster due to their lower C:N ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
Faster decomposition resulted in greater nutrient release into soil.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“resulting in greater nutrient release into the soil.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zuri and Quênia had similar biomass production.
Verbatim
e0“Both forage grasses (Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses) are suitable for integrated crop–livestock systems, as they showed similar biomass production and nutrient accumulation.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zuri and Quênia had similar nutrient accumulation.
Verbatim
e0“Both forage grasses (Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses) are suitable for integrated crop–livestock systems, as they showed similar biomass production and nutrient accumulation.”
Claim · model-written summary
Soybean yield was not influenced by cropping system.
- Taxon
- Soybean
Glycine maxe0 - Treatment
- different cropping systemse0
- Outcome
- Soybean yielde0
- Direction
- not influencede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soybean yield was not influenced by the different cropping systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass biomass returned more fertilizer equivalents to soil.
Verbatim
e0“grass biomass enriches the soil more through the return of fertilizer equivalents”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors considered both forage grasses suitable for integrated crop-livestock systems.
Verbatim
e0“Both forage grasses (Zuri and Quênia guinea grasses) are suitable for integrated crop–livestock systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Future work could consider reducing mineral fertilizer based on grass biomass nutrient returns.
- Outcome
- reduction of mineral fertilizerse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“which in future studies could be considered for the reduction of mineral fertilizers”
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