Introduction. Water is the most limiting factor in the production of extensive rainfed crops in the Pampas region of Argentina and in many parts of the world. Objective. To determine the water use efficiency, both in grain yield and in total biomass produced, for different crop sequences under different fallow managements. Materials and methods. The trial was carried out in the Experimental Station of the Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, J. Hirschhorn (34 ° 52´ LS, 57 ° 58´ LO), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, where since 2011 four crop sequences have been working and from 2015, in the period between summer crops, different treatments were implemented that included the use of cover crops with and without fertilization in the successor crop and the application of compost. During the period 2015 - 2018, total biomass produced, yield, and water use efficiency were determined. Results. The sequence oats (Avena sativa L.) / soybean (Glicine max L.) 2nd - corn (Zea mays L.) - sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) - wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was the most efficient in the use of water. In the last place, the sequence wheat / soybean 2nd-soybean-soybean-wheat was found, with the highest frequency of the soybean crop. The different types of fallows affected the water use efficiency, with less efficient values under the control treatment. Conclusion. The crop sequences analyzed showed differences in water use. The fallows with cover crops and compost were more efficient in water use by 10,85 % on average of grain, and in 3,64 % on average of biomass. | Introducción. El agua es el factor más limitante en la producción de cultivos extensivos en secano en la región pampeana de Argentina y de muchos lugares del mundo. Objetivo. Determinar la eficiencia de uso del agua, tanto en rendimiento en grano como en biomasa total producida, para diferentes secuencias de cultivos bajo distintos manejos de sus barbechos. Materiales y métodos. El ensayo se llevó a cabo en la Estación Experimental de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, J. Hirschhorn (34° 52´ LS, 57° 58´ LO), La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, donde desde el año 2011 se trabaja con cuatro secuencias de cultivos y a partir del año 2015, en el período entre los cultivos de verano, se implementaron diferentes tratamientos que incluyeron el uso de cultivos de cobertura con y sin fertilización en el cultivo sucesor y la aplicación de compost. Durante el período 2015 - 2018 se determinó la biomasa total producida, el rendimiento y la eficiencia de uso del agua. Resultados. La secuencia avena (Avena sativa L.) / soja (Glicine max L.) 2da - maíz (Zea mays L.) - girasol (Helianthus annuus L.) - trigo (Triticum aestivum L.), resultó las más eficiente en el uso del agua. En último lugar, se encontró la secuencia trigo / soja 2da - soja - soja - trigo, con mayor frecuencia del cultivo soja. Los distintos tipos de barbechos afectaron la eficiencia de uso del agua, con valores menos eficientes bajo el tratamiento testigo. Conclusión. Las secuencias de cultivos analizadas presentaron diferencias en el uso del agua. Los barbechos con cultivos de cobertura y compost resultaron más eficientes en el uso del agua para grano en un 10,85 %, y para biomasa en un 3,64 % en promedio.

Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a influência da salinidade no crescimento de espécies de leguminosas comumente utilizadas como adubação verde. Conduziu-se um experimento em ambiente protegido, no ano de 2010, em blocos ao acaso, no esquema fatorial 5 x 2. Os tratamentos foram cinco níveis de sais (0,8, 1,6, 2,4, 3,2 e 4,0 dS m-1 a 25 ºC) e duas leguminosas: Crotalaria juncea e Crotalaria spectabilis. A água de irrigação foi preparada com a adição de NaCl e as irrigações foram feitas manualmente, em dias alternados, com base no consumo de água das plantas na irrigação anterior. Avaliaram-se os componentes morfofisiológicos - altura de plantas, diâmetro do caule e número de folhas. Plantas de Crotalaria juncea não foram afetadas pelos níveis de sais utilizados neste trabalho. Observou-se efeito depreciativo dos níveis de sais aos 40 dias, para altura de plantas, diâmetro do caule e número de folhas da Crotalaria spectabilis, com resposta linear para altura de planta e quadrática para diâmetro do caule e número de folhas. | This study had the objective to evaluate the influence of salinity on the growth of legumenous species commonly used as green manure. An experiment was conducted in a greenhouse in the year of 2010 set up in 5 x 2 factorial in randomized blocks. Treatments were composed of five levels of salt (0.8, 1.6, 2, 4, 3.2 and 4.0 dS m-1 at 25 ºC) in irrigation water and two legumenous species: Crotalaria juncea and Crotalaria spectabilis. Sodium chloride was added in the irrigation water and plants were irrigated manually on alternate days, based on water consumption of the previous day. The morpho-physiological parameters - plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves, were evaluated. Absolute growth rates and relative growth rates were adjusted to the regression models. Plants of Crotalaria juncea were not affected with salt levels used in this study. Depressive effect of salt levels was observed at 40 days for plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves of Crotalaria spectabilis, with linear response for plant height and quadratic for stem diameter and number of leaves.