No-tillage and Vegetable Barrier as a Strategy for Pest Management in the Production of Lettuce

The experiments were conducted in randomized blocks, arranged in subdivide parcels scheme, the main factor is the presence and absence of the surrounding sorghum band and in the sub parcels of the soil cover (spontaneous vegetation, millet, goosegrass and sorghum) and the conventional (without cover), with four repetitions. The evaluated variables were biomass production of cover crops, composition rate, weed elimination, pest population variants, natural enemies and lettuce production. The millet showed lower rate of decomposition and longer half-life. The sorghum indicated higher litterfall and greater efficiency in weed elimination during the cycles. The predominant pests in the area were whitefly and thripes, regardless of the management used. The presence of the sorghum-surrounding band provided an increase of the natural enemies, mainly in the lettuce second cycle. As well as the increase of lettuce production when grown with millet and grass goosegras in the first cycle and sorghum in the second cycle. The conservation practices evaluated in this research can be indicated as a phytosanitary management strategy in the lettuce crop.