Conservation agriculture practices in a peanut cropping system: Effects on pod yield and soil penetration resistance

Conservation agriculture principles applied to peanut can reduce soil erosion and production costs when cultivated in rotation with sugarcane. Still, the problem with soil compaction is the leading cause of skepticism about the efficacy of this practice. This research aimed to study the effect of three soil management strategies compared with conventional for peanut cv. IAC-OL3, cultivated in rotation with sugarcane using the MEIOSI (method of intercropping occurring simultaneously) system for agronomic practices with additional analysis on changes in soil physics properties. The trial was conducted in 2019-2020 in Planalto municipality (Sao Paulo, Brazil) under a green-harvested sugarcane field, using a randomized complete block experimental design. The trial consisted of four soil management treatments (conventional tillage, minimum tillage with chisel, strip-tillage, and no-tillage) with five replications. Although no differences were verified in soil bulk density and porosity among treatments, the highest values of soil penetration resistance were observed in no-tillage treatment for all evaluations (before planting, at the beginning of flowering, and before and after harvesting) in comparison with conventional tillage. The difference in soil penetration resistance among the treatments diminished from planting to the end of the cycle. Furthermore, low soil disturbance and maximum covering with straw significantly increased the available water capacity and reduced the incidence and severity of groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) on peanut plants. Consequently, both minimum-tillage and no-tillage have increased the pod yield on average by 695 and 991 kg ha-1 more than strip-tillage and conventional tillage, respectively, without differences in terms of quality and pod losses.