The objective of this work was to evaluate no-tillage of lettuce in the summer on cover crops desiccated or mowed in successive crops. The experiment was carried out in Álvares Machado, São Paulo, Brasil. The experimental design was randomized complete block with four replications. The treatments were arranged in a split plot design, with managements of cover crops the main plot (desiccated with herbicides or mowing) and the cover crops represented the subplots (Cajanus cajan cv. IAPAR 43, Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria juncea, Mucuna pruriens, Pennisetum glaucum and natural vegetation). Additionally a control without cover crops was evaluate. In the first crop the mowed management presented lower lettuce yield performance, however no differences was observed in the second crop. In the first crop, the lettuce yield was higher in the velvet bean cover. It is due to excess of straw from other cover crops that harmed the establishment of lettuce. In the second crop, no differences were observed between cover crops. The mowing of cover crops is a viable option for lettuce production without herbicides.
organic agriculture; Crotalaria juncea; Lactuca sativa; millet; Mucuna aterrima
