EVALUATION OF ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF INTEGRATED PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION IN THE STATE OF TOCANTINS-BRAZIL

Abstract

Integrated pineapple production in Brazil was initiated in the States of Tocantins, Paraiba and Bahia. In Tocantins where the new crop management system advanced faster, integrated production has reached commercial level: 150 hectares in 2007, cultivated by 15 pineapple growers in 11 municipalities. Evaluation of economic and environmental impacts was performed according to the “AmbitecAgro System”, composed by a pool of indicators and components related to technology efficiency, environmental preservation and recovery. Eight growers were surveyed, all of them at the same integrated production level, as well as three experts that work on the project. In the conventional production system pesticides are applied in a preventive way, usually there are nine insecticide and six fungicide applications during the crop cycle. In the integrated production system, the decision to spray pesticide is based on the monitoring of pests and diseases. In addition to promoting the use of less toxic pesticides, the practice of integrated pineapple production has reduced the amount and the number of pesticide applications, resulting in lower production costs in comparison with the conventional system. Reductions in pesticide use were as follows: herbicides, 47%, insecticides, 37% and fungicides, 20%. The use of herbicide decreased from four pre-emergence applications to two post-emergence applications during the crop cycle. The positive effect of the integrated pineapple production on the environment was due to the improvement on soil quality and reduction of pesticides applications, resulting in an index equal to 2.34, on a scale ranging from –15 to +15.