ABSTRACT. Precrops have different growth patterns, nitrogen (N) requirements, and production of residues varying in amounts and quality that may affect the N-clycling and the soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) cropped in succession. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of precrops and N fertilization on soybean performance. An experiment was conducted in Londrina, Paraná State, Brazil, with six precrops treatments: fallow, ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensis), showy rattlebox (Crotalaria spectabilis), corn (Zea mays) without or with 80 kg ha−1 of N at topdressing as urea, and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Subplots consisted of two levels of N fertilization at soybean sowing: 0 and 30 kg ha−1 of N as ammonium nitrate at sowing. Urochloa ruziziensis as precrops increased the soybean yield (5,171 kg ha-1) when compared with corn (4,346 kg ha-1) and fallow (4,467 kg ha-1). In 2016/17, N fertilization of soybean with 30 kg ha−1 of N at sowing, although increasing the initial plant growth (745 kg ha-1 with vs. 662 kg ha-1 without), impairs nodulation (100 mg pl-1 with vs. 130 g pl-1 without) and does not increase grain yield. Oil and protein concentrations in soybean grains are not influenced by precrops and N fertilization at sowing. We found that the use Urochloa ruziziensis as cover crop in soybean precrops is a good recommendation option in tropical regions of Brazil, because increasing the yield of soybean grown in succession. N fertilization at in soybean sowing it should not be recommended even in the presence of a large amount of straw.

O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de culturas de entressafra e da adubação nitrogenada na soja sobre a evolução dos índices de área foliar e SPAD da cultura, bem como a relação dessas variáveis com a produtividade de grãos. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, em parcelas subdivididas (split-plot) e cinco repetições, durante as safras 2016/17 e 2017/18. Nas parcelas foram avaliadas as culturas de entressafra, repetidas nas mesmas parcelas nas duas safras: braquiária (Urochloa ruziziensis), crotalária (Crotalaria spectabilis), milho segunda safra (Zea mays) com 0 e 80 kg de N ha-1 em cobertura, trigo (Triticum aestivum) e pousio. Nas subparcelas foram avaliados os efeitos dos níveis de N aplicados na semeadura da soja (0 e 30 kg de N ha-1). As culturas de entressafra influenciaram o IAF e o índice SPAD da soja nas fases de crescimento vegetativo e florescimento, mas não impactaram essas variáveis no enchimento de grãos. A aplicação de N na soja proporcionou aumento do IAF e índice SPAD somente nas fases vegetativa e de florescimento, não afetando a produtividade de grãos. Houve correlação negativa do IAF e do índice SPAD no início do florescimento com a produtividade de grãos na primeira safra, mas não na segunda.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of winter crops and nitrogen fertilization on the evolution of leaf area indices and SPAD of soybean, as well as the relationship between these variables and grain yield of soybean. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with split-plot scheme and five replications during 2016/17 and 2017/18 cropping seasons. The winter crops were allocated to the plots: palisadegrass (Urochloa ruziziensis), crotalaria (Crotalaria spectabilis), maize (Zea mays) with 0 and 80 kg N ha-1 topdressing, wheat (Triticum aestivum) and fallow. Two levels of N for soybean were applied at sowing time (0 and 30 kg N ha-1). The winter crops influenced LAI and SPAD index in the vegetative growth and flowering phases of soybean, but during grain filling these effects were not present. The application of mineral N at sowing soybean increased the LAI and SPAD index only in the vegetative and flowering stages, without affecting grain yield. In the first cropping season, at the beginning of flowering, LAI and the SPAD index were negatively correlated with grain yield, but in the second cropping season these correlations were not present.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de raízes e palha de capim-piatã (Urochloa brizantha) e braquiária ruziziensis (U. ruziziensis), utilizados como plantas de cobertura do solo no outono-inverno, sobre o desempenho da cultura da soja. Foram avaliados sete tratamentos, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições: pousio, no outono-inverno; palha de U. ruziziensis ou de U. brizantha 'BRS Piatã', distribuída em parcelas mantidas em pousio no inverno, sem o uso de raízes; parcelas apenas com raízes de U. ruziziensis ou U. brizantha, sem o uso da palha; e parcelas com palha e raízes de U. ruziziensis ou U. brizantha. As braquiárias foram plantadas na safra 2014/2015, e os tratamentos foram avaliados ao final da safra 2015/2016, sem deficit hídrico durante o ciclo da soja. Os conteúdos de óleo e proteína nos grãos de soja não foram afetados significativamente pelos tratamentos. Entretanto, o cultivo das braquiárias durante o outono-inverno aumentou a produtividade de grãos da soja em sucessão, em comparação ao pousio. O impacto das raízes das braquiárias sobre a produtividade é mais expressivo do que o da palha. A presença combinada de raízes e palha confere melhor desempenho à soja do que a presença isolada de raízes ou palha.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of roots and straw of palisade grass (Urochloa brizantha) and Ruzi grass (U. ruziziensis), used as cover crops in autumn-winter, on soybean performance. Seven treatments were evaluated in a randomized complete block design, with four replicates: fallow, during autumn-winter; straw of U. ruziziensis or U. brizantha 'BRS Piatã', distributed in plots kept under fallow in the winter, without roots; plots only with roots of U. ruziziensis or U. brizantha, without straw; and plots with straw and roots of U. ruziziensis or U. brizantha. The grass species were planted during the 2014/2015 crop season, and treatments were evaluated at the end of the 2015/2016 crop season, without drought during the soybean cycle. The oil and protein contents of soybean grains were not affected significantly by the treatments. However, the cultivation of grass species during autumn-winter increased soybean grain yield in comparison with fallow. Grass root effects are more expressive than those of straw. The combined presence of roots and straw confers a better performance to soybean than the isolated presence of roots or straw.