Título:	Andean grain crop introduction to the Brazilian savannah.
Autoria:	SPEHAR, C. R. SANTOS, R. L. de B. JACOBSEN, S-E.
Afiliação:	CARLOS ROBERTO SPEHAR, CPAC; ROBERTO LORENA DE BARROS SANTOS, CPAC; SVEN-ERIK JACOBSEN, CENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE LA PAPA.
Ano de publicação:	1998
Referência:	In: CONFERÊNCIA INTERNACIONAL DA AGRICULTURA SUSTENTÁVEL EM REGIÕES MONTANHOSAS TROPICAIS E SUBTROPICAIS COM ESPECIAL REFERÊNCIA PARA A AMÉRICA LATINA-SATHLA, 1998, Rio de Janeiro. Anais... Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia, 1998.
Páginas:	6 p.
Conteúdo:	Agricultural history of the Brazilian savannah dates back 150 years, beginning with extensive cattle ranching on native grassland, eventually developing into a rice-pasture system, followed by today’s modern grain production on 10 million ha. For the past 20 years the cropping system has been soybean and maize in the rainy season, with little agricultural activity during the long dry season. A recent trend toward growing crops as a source of mulch has been limited to a few species of two botanical families: Gramineae such as maize, millet, and sorghum; and Leguminosae such as soybean. Such highly specialized monocrop systems, which are becoming common in Brazil, threaten the sustainability of the region, because of increased pests, diseases and weeds problems, loss of soil organic matter content due to excessive soil preparation, nutrient loss, soil compaction and erosion, increased production cost due to excessive/unbalanced use of fertilizers and pesticides, yield reduction, and negative environmental impacts. Introduction of new crops is essential to improve the sustainability of the system, serving as break-crops to increase soil fertility and provide additional income to farmers. The selection criteria for new species are drought resistance, rapid growth, nutrient improvement, and diversified uses. Two species that meet these characteristics are the Andean grain crops quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.). They are characterized by a high quality protein and a high vitamin and mineral content. In the low-altitude tropical savannah, locally selected genotypes of quinoa, originating from hybrid populations in Cambridge, England, have been evaluated in Brazil in Planaltina, DF (1000 masl; 15o S latitude) and in Rio Verde, GO (700 masl; 18o S latitude) in the winter dry season from May to September, following the main crop. Yields were nearly 7.0 t dry matter/ha and 3.0 t seed/ha, with a growth period varying between 90 and 130 days. In preliminary yield trials amaranth accessions gave similar results. Further research to determine improved production practices for optimal, sustainable cultivation of quinoa and amaranth, and to evaluate their market potential, is needed. It is expected that these novel crops can contribute to the development of the Brazilian savannah to benefit farmers and the environment, making this important ecological region less prone to degradation.
Thesagro:	Cerrado Grão Introdução de Planta
NAL Thesaurus:	Grain crops Savannas
Tipo do material:	Artigo em anais e proceedings
Acesso:	openAccess
Aparece nas coleções:	Artigo em anais de congresso (CPAC)