Agronomic performance of Cover crops used as ground cover mulching in the fallow period

The objective of this work was to identify species with high production of phytomass for ground cover in the fallow period. The experiment was carried out from 2009 to 2010, with three species of the family Leguminosae and three of the family Poaceae, in the experimental area of the campus of the Universidade Federal de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The evaluated species were: caracas rattlebox (Crotalaria anagyroides), jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), black oat (Avena strigosa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), sown with and without intercropping. Jack bean and sorghum showed the highest rate of soil covering in single cropping, whereas pearl millet the lowest. Sorghum in single cropping and intercropped with jack bean and pigeon pea shows the largest production of green matter and dry matter, whereas pigeon pea presents the lowest production of green matter, and caracas rattlebox the lowest production of dry matter. At the implantation of the commercial culture, the largest amount of straw above the soil was provided by the intercropping between jack bean and sorghum.