No-tillage on corn production in rainfed agriculture in Northeast Brazil

When efficiently introduced, no-tillage system benefices soil and crops. In Brazil, no-tillage studies are concentrated in South and Center-west regions, being necessary information about it in Northeast region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the no-tillage influence on maize yield under rainfed agriculture in Northeast Brazil, in an experiment conducted during seven years. The crops of maize (Zea mays) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) were used in three soil management systems: maize in conventional tillage (CC), maize in no-tillage (SD), maize in no-tillage plus pigeon pea sowed in the interrow (SG), with presence and absence of mineral N, P and K fertilization. Soil samples were collected at the beginning and the end of the experiment to determine soil bulk density, soil particle density, total porosity, dry and wet mean weight aggregate diameters and aggregate stability index. It was also quantified soil cover rate and maize yield. The soil porosity and aggregate stability were lower after the study period. Soil coverage increased significantly, about 96 % of the area under SD and SG systems, early in the culture development. Mineral fertilization and no-tillage systems highly influenced the maize yield. The rainfall was the factor that caused greater variability on the results of this study.