Crop succession and nitrogen splitting fertilization in common bean in newly implemented no-tillage system

Abstract The management practices impacts on a crop succession system in newly implemented no-tillage area should be investigated to provide more accurate recommendations. A two-year experiment was conducted in Southeastern Brazil to evaluate the interactions between crop succession (grasses/legume) and nitrogen splitting fertilization in common bean in a production system with newly implemented no-tillage. The plots were formed by three crop succession schemes, with grasses cultivated in spring/summer and the legume crop (common bean) in winter. The cropping systems in spring/summer were: sole maize, maize intercropped with U. ruziziensis and sole U. ruziziensis. The subplots consisted of ten splitting schemes of side-dressing nitrogen fertilization in common bean, with applications in the phenological stages V3, V4 and R5. The common bean grain yield (GY) was 5 to 12% lower when it was cultivated after sole U. ruziziensis compared to other successions. However, when U. ruziziensis was intercropped with maize, the GY of common bean was similar to that obtained in the succession with sole maize. In addition, the intercropping had little effect on the maize agronomic performance. Compared to the application in a single rate, the GY of common bean was on average 12% higher when nitrogen fertilization was split, and the best schemes were 45-00-45 and 45-45-00. Nitrogen fertilization in common bean did not affect the GY of maize in succession. Intercropping of maize with U. ruziziensis and nitrogen splitting fertilization in common bean in succession allows obtaining the ecosystem benefits promoted by the forage without affecting the cash crops yield.