Sustentabilidade do cultivo de mandioca em comunidades indígenas do Pantanal Brasileiro

T S Melo ,R F Marques ,Michely Tomazi,Laryssa Barbosa Xavier Da Silva,Sudeep Chandra,Germani Concenço ,Vaishali Chandola

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i1.12070

Abstract

We aimed with this study to help maximizing cassava production for subsistence in indigenous communities at the Brazilian Pantanal, by introducing minimal changes to the usual indigenous way of cultivation aiming to reduce human labor in weed management in this crop. For that, we tested distinct intercrops and phosphate sources, taking the Babassu Indigenous Village, located in Miranda‑MS, Brazil, as a reference. The experiment involved the intercrop of cassava with pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), jack‑bean (Canavalia ensiformis) and millet (Pennisetum americanum) and the source of phosphate fertilizer (mycorrhizal inoculants, P2O5 and without fertilization / mycorrhizal inoculum). Soil samples were collected to study the soil seed bank of spontaneous species. We adopted the phytosociological method to assess the absolute level of infestation, its composition density, frequency, dominance and importance value, and diversity coefficients of Simpson and Shannon-Weiner, as well as the Shannon Evenness Proportion (a sustainability coefficient) for all treatments. Areas were also grouped by similarity of plant species. Cultivation of cassava for subsistence in indigenous areas also selects certain spontaneous species, and management should focus in removing mostly by hand those established in the crop row; the damage to the crop may be higher in years of high abiotic stresses. There is no effect of phosphate supply source (P) in the level or composition of spontaneous species. There is clear evidence that the continued cultivation of cassava for subsistence in indigenous areas of the Brazilian Pantanal is sustainable over time, mainly when intercropped with other food species.

Highlights

The food production practices at Terena indigenous communities, which are concentrated in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, mainly involves the cultivation of cassava, common bean, cowpea, rice and corn crops, with cassava being the main staple food
The lowest occurrence level was reported when cassava was intercropped with jack-bean; the dry mass of spontaneous plants in this treatment was ~ 30% of that observed for other treatments
Dry mass for the other treatments was equivalent, while for the number of spontaneous species, the intercrop with millet resulted in infestation levels similar to that observed in the intercrop with jack bean, being the largest infestation reported for the single cassava cultivation (Figure 1a)

Summary

Introduction

The food production practices at Terena indigenous communities, which are concentrated in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, mainly involves the cultivation of cassava, common bean, cowpea, rice and corn crops, with cassava being the main staple food. The slow initial growth, large plant spacing, the need for frequent weeding during the first crop stages, and the movement of the soil twice each cycle (during planting and harvesting) are agronomic characteristics of cassava plantations, which leave the soil unprotected for two to three months after planting. This may cause large soil losses through erosion (Souza et al, 2006). Inoculation with strains of selected mycorrhizal-arbuscular fungi, no-tillage or minimum cultivation associated with the use of mulching plants, in addition to offering more favorable conditions for plant growth and development, can increase productivity levels of cassava (Otsubo et al, 2008; Souza et al, 1999; Silva et al, 2007)

Methods

Results

Conclusion