Momesso, Letusa [UNESP]Crusciol, Carlos A.C. [UNESP]Soratto, Rogério P. [UNESP]Vyn, Tony J.Tanaka, Katiuça S. [UNESP]Costa, Claudio H.M.Neto, Jayme Ferrari [UNESP]Cantarella, Heitor2019-10-062019-10-062019-03-01Agronomy Journal, v. 111, n. 2, p. 639-649, 2019.1435-06450002-1962http://hdl.handle.net/11449/189039Crop residue decomposition is slower in no-till (NT) systems, especially in high-biomass systems. Adopting optimum nN management can provide increased soil coverage and synchronize the supply of nutrients with the period of highest crop demand in agroecosystems. A three-year experiment was conducted to assess the feasibility of applying N on forage grass cover crops before termination {Urochloa brizantha (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) R.D. Webster [syn. Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. Ex A. Rich) Stapf] and Urochloa ruziziensis (R. Germ. and C.M. Evrard) Crins [syn. B. ruziziensis (R. Germ. and C.M. Evrard)]}, or on forage grass cover crop residues immediately before maize (Zea mays L.) seeding, aiming to supply N to the following maize crop. Urochloa brizantha had 25% higher biomass production and a higher amount of nutrient content than U. ruziziensis. The N application before termination increased biomass production and nutrient content in cover crop residues compared with the conventional fertilization method (30 kg N ha-1 in the maize seeeding plus 170 kg N ha-1 sidedressed in V6 growth stage). Nitrogen applied one day before seeding (DBS) of maize or using conventional method resulted in a higher number of ears per plant and more kernels per ear as well as a higher grain yields of maize (13.8 and 14.1 Mg ha-1, respectively) compared to N applied on cover crops. Our results suggest that, while both forage grass cover crops produced greater amounts of dry matter (DM) and released similar amounts of nutrients, applying all N to cover crops before maize is not a feasible alternative. Nitrogen application 1 DBS could be an alternative management option to supply N to maize because this method resulted in similar nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) as conventional fertilization method.639-649engArtigo10.2134/agronj2018.03.0201Acesso restrito2-s2.0-85064908166