Biodiversity as leading factor to agricultural production in shaded coffee agroecosystems in the Pontal do Paranapanema

Author(s)

Paulo Rogério Lopes

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2014-07-18

Examining board members

Paulo Yoshio Kageyama; Manoel Baltasar Baptista da Costa; Flávio Bertin Gandara Mendes; Marcos Sorrentino

• Advisor: Paulo Yoshio Kageyama

Abstract

The system of production of organic coffee is emerging as an alternative technology and affordable, which aims to eliminate the environmental impacts caused by irrational use of natural resources. Many experiments and analyzes indicate biodiversity as a precursor of biological stability found in these diverse productive agroecosystems. However, are incipient scientific about the effect of biodiversity on agricultural production systems studies. Thus, the biggest challenge of the research was to identify which system management propitiated more synergisms biological, ecological services - keys, such as biological control of major pest of coffee. And that is what this research was developed with the aim of evaluating whether the present biodiversity in agroecosystems is related to ecological stability ,ie, the dynamic balance of the insect population , which at certain levels can cause major economic damage the coffee culture. The research was conducted in the Pontal region in agroforestry systems driven by farmers settled under the technical responsibility of IPE (Institute for Ecological Research), the institution responsible for the implementation of the SAF, through the project entitled \"Coffee with Forest\". This study allowed a better understanding of the effect of biodiversity on diversified coffee agroecosystems that do not use external (fertilizers and pesticides) inputs, as well as providing an analysis and systematization of existing agroecological management systems in rural settlements, as well as the characterization and handling of agroforestry practices carried out by farmers, involving socioeconomic aspects of production. Thus, the research has scientific importance, since possible to ascertain that the studied agroforestry arrangements in the region allowed a lower incidence of major pest of coffee (Coffea arabica ) , the leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) , showing that the diversified coffee agroecosystems (SAF) are an appropriate ecological and social alternative to family farming, since it gives greater resilience to agroecosystems. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/07119-5 - The biodiversity as factor for agricultural production in coffee shaded agroecosystems - A case study of agroforestry systems in the Pontal of Paranapanena
• Grantee: Paulo Rogério Lopes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate