Custos de implantação de um sistema agroflorestal biodiverso

Abstract

Agroforestry Systems (AFS) are production systems that integrate agricultural production with forest production with the provision of ecosystem environmental services. The most important components of these systems are the native and/or exotic forest species associated with annual, perennial, and semi-perennial crops, in addition to the possibility of integration with animal husbandry, which is currently considered an important tool for profitable production and able to avoid the main problems caused by modern agricultural development. Although the environmental and productive benefits are proven to be assertive, there is a need for studies to help the viability and adoption of AFS by rural producers. In this sense, the economic and financial potential of the AFS was partially investigated by us by accounting for the main costs necessary for the implantation of 1 hectare of a biodiverse AFS. We studied a rural property from September/2021 to March/2022, an area originally belonging to the Atlantic Forest, in the municipality of Timburi/SP, where 3 varieties of avocado (Persea americana, varieties: Hass, Margarida and Quintal) were consorted, banana prata dwarf (Musa paradisiaca), pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia), African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) and pink jequitibá (Cariniana legalis). The results showed that the implementation of the AFS presented financial costs distributed in several categories, with the acquisition of seedlings and propagules being the most expensive stage, followed by the costs of operations and, finally, the inputs as fertilizers, soil correctives, hydrogel, and grind wood. Within each category, respectively, we found that the acquisition of avocado seedlings, the grading operation, and finally the purchase of grind wood were the most expensive costs for this implantation. In addition, the avocado was the most expensive species when we considered all the expenses involved, including the acquisition of seedlings, previous care, and during planting. We suggest that future studies address the survey of implementation costs and their evolution throughout the development of AFS, in addition to replacing external and expensive supplies such as grind wood with materials produced within the property and optimizing the operational times needed to prepare the area. In this way, it will be possible to improve the viability and agroforestry design of the AFS to meet the local needs of each producer and generate profit for its maintenance.