Lime under no-tillage and conventional planting systems for soybean and corn in Red Latosol (Oxisol)

Cerrado soils are acid with toxic levels of aluminum and, in order to overcome these conditions to grow crops, lime is necessary. This experiment evaluated the effects of lime levels and methods of lime application on the grain production of soybean and corn in rotation, under conventional (disk plowing and harrowing) and no-tillage planting systems in a Red Latosol (Oxisol). Cover crops were planted in the dry season; mucuna was cultivated after soybean and millet after corn. One lime treatment was included without cover crop under the conventional system. The occurrence of a dry spell period caused reduction in soybean yield in the first crop, but yield increases were observed due to lime application, under both systems, in the third crop. In the second and fourth crops, corn grain yields increased with lime levels, and were higher in the conventional system in the second crop. In no-tillage system, lime levels without incorporation produced less corn grain yield compared to incorporated lime. The corn response to split lime application was proportional to the incorporated lime levels. The exclusion of cover crops under the conventional system promoted corn grain yield reduction. Surface lime applications affected the soil chemical characteristics mainly at the 0-5 cm depth.