Pedological and socio-environmental criteria indicative of the adequacy of technical-productive interventions in family agroecosystems: the example of the lower Tocantins-Cametá region, Pará

Abstract

The study adopted pedological criteria indicative of the quality of production systems developed in family agroecosystems in two locations in the Territory of Baixo Tocantins (TBT), Pará state. Such indicators were selected in order to analyze the suitability of two forms of technical productive interventions (agroecological and agroindustrial). The first location considered representative of agroecological-based interventions belongs to the municipality of Cametá (Ajó and Inacha communities), in which farmers are part of a network of multiplier farmers, provided by the Pará Association for Support to Needy Communities (APACC). The second location is a Settlement Project called Calmaria II, in the municipality of Moju (São José and Água Preta communities), where oil palm (Elaeis guineenses) is the main productive activity promoted by the National Biodiesel Production and Use Program (PNPB), operated by oil palm agribusinesses, together with family farmers. A characterization of local socio-environmental sustainability indicators was carried out to classify representative farmers. In addition, pedological data was collected, obtained through morphological description and analysis of samples taken from subareas subject to different forms of land use: agroforestry system (SAF), farmland area (AR), oil palm area (AD) and native forest (AF). The results showed that the interventions, in a certain way, achieved their objectives, but many problems were observed: in the case of the intervention in Calmaria II, the relationship between farmers and technicians was quite conflicting; Among the most positive aspects are those linked to the increase in work, both on the property itself and through the sale of labor to the agroindustry. The agroecological intervention was more successful in the community of Ajó than in Inacha, since, in the former one, there was greater efficiency in the transition of management (practices and techniques) from traditional agriculture (coivara) to agroecological. Possibly, this occurred because Ajó has a more diverse biophysical environment with solid ground soil, such as the dystrophic Yellow Oxisol (LAd) under secondary vegetation and soils developed in floodplains, which expand the possibilities of activities in the production system. The SAF of this community was more naturally enriched in exchangeable bases (K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) and microbial nitrogen when compared to the other management systems of the other communities observed.