2025/11/01 by Sarah V. Pedrão, Job Teixeira de Oliveira, Job T. Oliveira +10
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Soil Management and Crop Yield #Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems #Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/agj2.70229
Abstract Brazil can expand cultivated areas without deforestation by restoring degraded pastures and optimizing grain production through off‐season crops. This study evaluated eight off‐season treatments, including fallow, monocrops, and intercropping combinations, and their effects on maize ( Zea mays L.) intercropped with guinea grass ( Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L. Jacobs ‘Massai’) in a tropical low‐altitude region. The millet ( Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) + guinea grass treatment produced high aboveground biomass, efficient macronutrient accumulation, reduced soil temperature, and increased maize grain yield and guinea grass productivity compared to other treatments. Overall, the use of off‐season crops improves degraded pasture renovation, enhances subsequent summer intercropped maize productivity, and represents a promising and sustainable agricultural practice.