Abstract

The intercropping system has been accomplished with the objective to supply demand for foods through limited resources by smallholders conditions, associated with worries about improvement of land use efficiency. This study was carried out with the aim to assess the biometric and productive traits of Jatropha curcas in intercropping with species of forage grass and grain crops. The experiment was carried out in the district of Itahum, city of Dourados, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The treatments were J. curcas monocrop intercropping of J. curcas with Stylosanthes species, Brachiaria ruziziensis, B. ruziziensis + Stylosanthes spp., Brachiaria humidicola, Panicum maximum cv. Massai, Cajanus cajan, Crotalaria spectabilis, crop rotation system-1 (peanut/Crambe abyssinica/cowpea/ maize), crop rotation system-2 (maize off-season/C. abyssinica/soybean/peanut) and crop rotation system-3 (cowpea/radish/maize/cowpea). The species in intercropping with J. curcas did not affect its biometric traits. J. curcas reaches higher seed yield in intercropping with crop rotation system-2 (maize off-season/C. abyssinica/soybean/peanut) and crop rotation system-3 (cowpea/radish/maize/cowpea) in comparison to the other species evaluated in intercropping. J. curcas seed yield is lower in intercropping with forage grass species.

Key words: Sustainability, cropping rotation, biodiesel, leguminous, oleaginous perennial.