Sistemas agroflorestais em Santa Maria do Pará: características socioeconômicas, adoção e composição florística.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the experiences of multstrata agroforestry systems established commercial farmers in the area of the municipality of Santa Maria do Pará, with emphasis on families' socioeconomic conditions, limitations and opportunities for the establishment of these systems. To obtain primary data on the profile of farmer systems, land use, land tenure and power and division of family work, it employed the tools used in Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), as: structured applied individually and in groups, direct observation with photographic record and agricultural calendary. Study participants 32 farming families, distributed in 18 communities, which established 51 commercial agroforestry sistems. Analysis of data collected in the field was treated by the descriptive statistics and factor analysis.The adoption of commercial AFS by farmers is very low compared to other land use systems practiced in the city. The geographical origin, participation in rural community association, age, land ownership and lot size exert a strong influence on the establishment of the AFS Santa Maria do Pará, but did not become barriers to the establishment of these systems. Family farmers with FAS are at their most productive period of life and full capacity of its workforce. The family labor is the greatest expression with respect to activities in agroforestry systems established in units of agricultural production of farmers in the municipality. The survey revealed the supremacy of male participation in the implementation, conduct and management of AFS, and the importance of women in the productive process, since it participates in important activities such as planting, harvesting of commercial AFS as well as deployment, maintenance and driving backyards of agroforestry and arduous duties of housewife. The factor technical-educational, followed by the socio-organizational, agroforestry perception, and land-financial condition were the most relevant factors for adoption of agroforestry systems in Santa Maria do Pará. Technical assistance and formal education are decisive for adoption of AFS in this municipality. Also, the adoption of AFS was strongly affected by the small farmer‟s age, participation in communitarian organizations, as well as by the farmers‟ perception on importance and reasons for establishment of the AFS. Land tenure and financial resource also had influence on adoption of AFS. The governmental funding programs were not decisive to adoption these systems in Santa Maria do Pará, however it should be taken into account in any planned programs for the adoption of AFS in smallholding, in Amazon Region. The deficiency of public policies regards the services rural extension, formal education, land tenure and funds from government programs was recognized by the small farmers, in this research. The multstrata commercial AFS practiced in Santa Maria do Pará showed low diversity of botanic families, gender and species, and are managed with low technological level. The AFS are composed mainly by fruit trees and agricultural crops of commercial value and for self-directed. Coconut (Coccus nucifera L.), black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), cashew (Anacardium L. West) and cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum Chum.) are the most cultivated fruit, along with crops like beans cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.). The species of interest from local farmers are temporary, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.), Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.), and the permanent açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) cupuaçu (Theobroma grandflorum Chum.) and black pepper (Piper nigrum). The preferred timber species was the teak (Tectona grands L. f.). The lot size is not a barrier to the adoption of AFS in the municipality of Santa Maria do Pará, since farmers with small plots also established commercial AFS. The AFS, for the most part, are made with farmer's own resources and funds from government programs. These systems are important to the economy of small farmers and represent a viable alternative land use, since the difficulties in the implementation and management of these will be overcome. The occurrence of pests and diseases, lack of technical and marketing problems, not become barriers to adoption of AFS, but they must be prioritized by public policies in order to alleviate the problems.