Emater / RS-Ascar advises on the management of soil cover plants

In the milky grain flowering stage, soil cover plants implanted in areas of perennial (fruit) or annual (crops) crops require management during this period. In the Serra Gaúcha region, according to the rural extension worker from Emater / RS-Ascar João Villa, the use of species such as ryegrass, forage turnip, vetch and oats predominates in the areas of fruit growing, and oats, ryegrass and mix (diversity) of species in grain crops.

According to Villa, management can be carried out in different ways. “In fruit growing, plants can be left to naturally ripen naturally, ending their cycle and simply doing nothing, except that step when pruning, especially on the vine, or passing machines over plants can also be sufficient. “he says. In fruit growing, the use of herbicides (which cause damage to cultivated plants) is not necessary, and desiccation is not necessary as long as the plant provides good soil coverage, suppressing the emergence of invasive plants. “In the farming areas, on the other hand, you have the option of rolling with a knife roller during the right period, depending on the species. The grasses, in general, in the milky grain stage, the turnip and vetch in flowering, and the mix, according to the most critical species in relation to the possibility of regrowth. In general, in the areas of grain crops the traditional management is desiccation with herbicide and then planting 30 to 40 days after desiccation “, he highlights.

According to Villa, the use of cover plants continues to grow in the region, due to the benefits they bring. “One of them is the conservation of the soil through the cover and protection provided by the plants and roots. But, mainly the increase in fertility due to the fact that some of the species put nitrogen in the soil, others recycle nutrients, mainly phosphorus, and the most important of all is that they activate the soil biology, increase the life of the soil causing the beneficial microorganisms will provide a better development of the plants grown in the straw “, he stresses.

Source: Grupo Cultivar