Cultivo orgânico de hortaliças não-convencionais da Amazônia: opção para a produção de alimentos e de renda para os assentados do sudeste paraense

Abstract

Among the main negative implications of the indiscriminate use of chemicals, mainly the pesticides in modern agriculture, especially in the last three decades, include the following: (i) the appearance of various diseases, (ii) poisoning of farm workers and (iii) contamination of food and the environment. Thus, gradually increasing the number of consumers who complain the current model of agriculture. The organic agriculture is a process that aiming the building of ecologically stable agricultural systems and economically productive, efficient use of natural resources for production and socially well structured. As a result are expected healthy foods, with high nutritional value and free of toxic waste, produced in harmony with the environment. There are countless species of vegetables that by are not included in the context of commercial production and marketing in our country, they are called by some Brazilian authors such as vegetables neglected or no-conventional. In the Amazon region these species oleracea, little used in commercial crops and/or poorly known in other Brazilian regions, are called no-conventional vegetable of the Amazon (NCVA). Some of these species are originate from the Amazon region and others were introduced. In the Amazon, is predominant soil of low fertility. This, allied to regional climates, hot and humid, comprises limiting environments to cultivation of the most of conventional vegetables. Moreover, the NCVA, are adapted to these soil and climatic conditions and may contribute decisively to improving the diet of people in the region. Thus, it is believed that in the Amazon should be encouraged, the expansion of cultivation and consumption of these species. Taking into account what was explained, in February 2008, the College of Agricultural Sciences of Marabá (CASM) implemented the project entitled: "Organic cultivation of Amazon vegetables no-conventional: option for food production and income to the settlers of the Pará Southeast.‖ Its main objectives were: (i) to collect access of various NCVA, (ii) to establish an organic vegetable garden with the materials collected, and (iii) to characterize morphologically access of some species of NCVA, (iv) to spread the use of this group of vegetables; (v) to spread agronomic information on these species, (vi) to provide materials propagated of these plants and (vii) encourage the use of vegetable native from the Amazon region. The activities of this project were developed in Marabá, PA. An organic vegetable garden was introduced in an area of about 500 m2, on Campus II of the Pará Federal University, in this city. In addition, a rustic structure was built to produce organic seedlings in cups and plastic trays in the backyard of the residence of the teacher Sebastião Lopes Pereira, of the CASM. In this place were also cultivated various species of NCVA in order to produce materials propagated these plants (cuttings, seeds and/or seedlings).