Fatores ecológicos que limitan a producao de cacau na regiao amazonica do Brasil
Practically all the cocoa produced in the Amazon Region of Brazil comes from wild trees which grow spontaneously on river bank alluvial soils (várzea alta) or on the islands of some rivers. Only a very small fraction of the total production of the region - estimated at 2.000 to 3.000 tons per year - comes from small plantings established by peasant farmers, using very primitive methods of growing cocoa. Expansion of the cocoa producing area in the region has been limited by edaphic, climatic and phytopathological problems, as well as by lack of technical assistance. Profitable new plantings can be established on the relatively scarce, well drained alluvial soils. However, on the latosols of terra firme (solid ground), which cover about 97 percent of the area, heavy application of fertilizers and liming would be required for the establishment and production of new plantings. Given the high prices of fertilizers in the area, such plantings are probably uneconomical at the moment. With regard to climate, the most suitable areas for growing cocos are located in the western part of the State of Amazon, near the Colombian border, and in the relatively small area around Belem, State of Para, where there is practically no dry season. The remaining areas are not considered entirely unsuitable from a climatic point of view, but yield would certainly be adversely affected by seasonal soil moisture deficiency during periods of two or three months as well as by excessive rainfall or floods (on alluvial soils) for an additional period of two or three months. Witches' broom, caused by Marasmius perniciosus, is a common disease throughout the region and also tended to discourage new plantings in the past. However, this problem is less important at present due to the possibility of utilizing hybrids with recognized resistance to this disease
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| Format: | biblioteca |
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Tafo (Ghana)
1971
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| Subjects: | THEOBROMA CACAO, CACAO, ECOLOGIA, FACTORES EDAFICOS, CLIMA, CRINIPELLIS PERNICIOSA, RENDIMIENTO, AMAZONAS (BRASIL), |
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