Roots production, aerial biomass and nitrogen contributions of the different service crops

In the first decade of the 21st century, the country went through a process of agricultural expansion, characterized by a continuous agricultural system in which soybean monoculture predominates. This practice, which involved frequent periods of winter fallow, resulted in constant exposure of the soil during the winter, causing its progressive deterioration and affecting both its physical and chemical properties. In response to this problem, service crops have emerged as a strategy to mitigate negative impacts. The main objectives of this study are to evaluate nitrogen contributions, aerial biomass production and root biomass production in the first 20 cm of soil, in different types of service crops. Different varieties and mixtures of service crops were used, including Avena byzantina, Avena strigosa, Vicia villosa, Lupinus angustifolius, and mixtures of Avena byzantina + Vicia villosa and Avena strigosa + Vicia villosa, arranged in a completely randomized block design with three repetitions. The results revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in terms of the production of aerial and root biomass of the different treatments evaluated, with one of the mixtures of Avena strigosa + Vicia villosa being the one that achieved the highest production of both aerial biomass (8045 kg DM ha^-1) and root biomass (1105 kg DM ha^-1). Furthermore, a linear and positive correlation was identified between both variables. Regarding the contribution of nitrogen, the Vicia villosa crops, as well as the mixtures of Avena strigosa + Vicia villosa, stood out as the treatments that offered the greatest contributions of said nutrient.