Crop rotation affects soybean performance in no-tillage system under optimal and dry cropping seasons

The purpose of this research was to assess the crop rotation affects on agronomic traits of soybean in optimal (OCS) and dry cropping seasons (DCS). This research was carried out in 2010/2011 (OCS) and 2011/2012 (DCS) in a Rhodic Hapludox soil. The experimental design was set up in a randomized complete block and the treatments were arranged in a factorial 9 x 2, consisting of 9 crop rotations systems and two cropping seasons, with four replications. The soybean (Glycine max cv. BMX-Potencia RR) was sowed on October 20 th 2010 and October 10 th 2011 (spring-summer season) 20 days after the fall-winter cover crops desiccation. It was assessed in the R8 reproductive stage (Full maturation) the plant height, the height of the first pod insertion, number of pod per plants, number of branches per plant, number of seed per pod, 1000-grain weight and grain yield. It was observed that in drought stress (DCS), the number of branches decreased, this reduction was 36% in relation to OCS. For the traits as plant height, first pod height, 1000-grain weight and yield, it was showed small values in DCS in contrast to OCS. It is feasible to introduce these cover crops in fall-winter season to make part of a crop rotation system. The number of pod per plant showed higher values under the crop rotation of corn/rapeseed/soybean, which showed highly associated with the soybean grain yield. This research brought options for cover crops system to be viable in no-till system with soybean in spring-summer season.