Introduction
Intercropping with nitrogen-fixing legumes in grass cropping systems is a management practice that has been widely studied and used in various countries around the world. Currently, this practice has taken on great relevance due to the need to recover degraded soils, improve nutrient cycling, reduce the demand for off-farm inputs and decrease greenhouse gas emissions in production systems deteriorated by many years of monoculture (Ali Raza et al, 2024; Pinto et al, 2017, Piñeiro et al, 2014).
Several studies have shown that sugarcane monoculture production systems have been developing signs of soil degradation, both physical-chemical and biological, over time (Tesouro et al, 2016; Fontana et al, 2019). Soil degradation compromises the adequate provision of ecosystem services, especially those of provision and regulation. Therefore, in these environments with degraded soils, a strong association was reported between soil functioning (e.g. availability of nutrients, capture and use of water) and the increase in the use of fertilizers to sustain production levels. In addition to this, Chalco Vera et al., (2017) demonstrated that synthetic fertilization of sugarcane cultivation is responsible for high emissions of nitrous oxide, one of the most harmful greenhouse gases.
In the areas of Tucumán where sugar cane is grown, the practice of rotation with soybeans has been adopted during the last 20 years when renewing the sugar cane fields (Fandos et al., 2021). This management, according to Garside et al. (2001), allowed to increase the sugar cane yield by 20% and 30% for plant cane and stubble 1 cane, respectively, with no positive effects from stubble 3 onwards.
When the crop is harvested in extra-early (May) or early (June-July) dates, a period of four to six months begins in which the sugarcane crop does not develop. If sprouting eventually occurs, it occurs with very low growth rates due to low temperatures and low rainfall (Saez, 2017). During this period, the opportunity arises to incorporate nitrogen-fixing legumes into the sugarcane system. Among various options, Vicia villosa stands out for its well-known agroclimatic adaptation, its creeping growth habit and its high decomposition rate, making it an emerging alternative.
In a current context that demands the generation of basic information to understand the benefits of using ecosystem service crops in the sugar-alcohol sector of Tucumán, the objective was to design a sugarcane-Vicia villosa intercropping system. To do so, different options for spatial arrangement of Vicia villosa in intercropping with sugarcane were compared. In turn, the interactive effect of intercropping and fertilization on the cultural yield of sugarcane was evaluated.
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