WATER USE EFFICIENCY AND YIELD OF BROCCOLI CULTIVATED UNDER NO-TILLAGE WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL COVER STRAW AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

This study aimed to evaluate the water use efficiency and yield of broccoli, irrigated by surface and subsurface drip and cultivated with no-till vegetable system (NTVS), using different species of cover plants for straw formation. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement (4 soil covers and 2 types of drip irrigation: surface and subsurface). The treatments related to the cultivation system were: control treatment, cultivated under conventional tillage and uncovered soil (CT), and three treatments cultivated in NTVS varying the residual straw species used as soil cover, namely: straw from intercropping of Crotalaria ochroleuca and Brachiaria ruziziensis (NT1), straw from only C. ochroleuca (NT2) and straw from only B. ruziziensis (NT3). Treatments with NTVS obtained yield levels higher than or similar to that of the control treatment. NT1, with straw from the intercropping of C. ochroleuca and B. ruziziensis, stood out with a 27% increase in marketable yield of inflorescence (18.68 t ha-1) and higher water use efficiency (17.57 kg m-3), being 54% more efficient than the treatment with conventional tillage.