DEVELOPMENT OF SOYBEAN IN A PRODUCTION SYSTEM INTERCROPPED WITH MACAÚBA PALM

Integrated production systems involve, in addition to intensification and diversity in production, advantages related to food safety and environmental conservation. Characteristics that confer potential use in various industrial sectors, have made macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata) be seen as an interesting option for intercropping with crops such as soybean (Glycine max L.), which in Brazil is one of the main grain crops produced in integrated systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different crop spacings on the development of soybean intercropped with macaúba.  The experiment was carried out at FESP/UFVJM in the 2023/2024 crop year, in a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments corresponded to different spacing between the soybean crop rows in relation to macaúba, being: 1.5 m, 2.0 m, 2.5 m, 3.0 m, 3.5 m, 4.0 m, 4.5 m and 5.0 m of distance. At the R6 stage of soybean, hypocotyl diameter and plant height were evaluated. The data from the evaluations were submitted to analysis of variance and the means were compared by Duncan's test at the 5% level of significance. For the diameter of the hypocotyl, at the 2.0 m spacing the plants obtained the highest mean (10 mm), however, they did not differ statistically from the means at the 2.5 m (8.8 mm) and 5.0 m (8.3 mm) spacing. The lowest means in this variable were observed at the 3.5 m (5.8 mm), 4.0 m (6.2 mm) and 3.0 m (6.8 mm) spacings