Ecological alternatives may contribute to the attainment of sustainability of productive family units through the balanced use of natural resources in the Amazon. Among these viable alternatives, stand out in the Amazon the initiatives of land preparation without the use of fire, such as the Tipitamba Project, the Roça without Fires Project, Agroforest Systems and agroecological alternatives practiced by the region's farmers. The availability of knowledge and practices through the training of en ...

Status: Completed     Start date: Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2011

Psyllids are small sap sucking insects with generally very narrow host plant ranges. Some of them are pests that cause major economic losses in agriculture, on ornamental plants and in forestry. They damage the plants by directly removing large quantities of sap or by the transmitting diseases. The chemical control of red gum lerp psyllids in eucalypt plantations in Brazil, for instance, costs millions of reais per year due to intensive use of insecticides. Another example is the transmission of

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2013

The project aimed to assess the forms of land use and forest degradation processes in the Amazon, by reconstructing the history of degradation in three municipalities (Paragominas and Santarém – PA and Feliz Natal – MT). In these municipalities, the socio-environmental aspects of forest degradation, related to changes in land use and coverage, were analyzed (pasture, agriculture, secondary use, logging, etc.), along with data produced by research partner networks and the vast literature already ...

Status: Completed     Start date: Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2013

Garlic cultivation has a major social impact, generating four direct and four indirect jobs per hectare planted in the production chain. More than 60% of Brazilian garlic production is in family-based properties. Since 2004, as planted area has been reduced to an average of 8,000 hectares, there was an estimated loss of 24,000 direct posts. In 2008, Brazil imported a volume equivalent to the production of 15,000 hectares, corresponding to 130,000 jobs outside Brazil. There has been a significant

Status: Completed     Start date: Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2009

In family farming system, farmers and their families are responsible for agricultural work and for the management of small and medium property. Often, the low purchasing power of the majority and the lack of appropriate technical guidance make farmers adopt undesirable practices while growing maize. The range of satisfactory yields depends, among other factors, on a good soil fertility, seeding in appropriate times, an effective management of insect pests and diseases, and especially quality

Status: Completed     Start date: Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2011

The silvopastoral systems are a viable option to avoid degradation of pastures due to their potential to control erosion and the ability of some tree species to add nitrogen and other nutrients to the pasture, improving soil fertility. However, an important aspect in these systems refers to the competition for light between the tree/shrub and herbaceous components. Tiller production and the consequent density of inflorescences, directly related to seed production and, therefore, to natural resee

Status: Completed     Start date: Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2007

Brazilian native fruit species are excellent generators of income and job opportunities to family farmers and micro-entrepreneurs especially from the Northern and Northeastern regions of Brazil. Species such as the Platonia insignis, Myrciaria dubia, Byrsonima crassifolia and the Spondia mombin L. have been frequently cited as economically promising in the field of family farming, due to the myriad of business possibilities linked to the ever increasing demand of

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2008

The state of Pará is slowly adopting practices to modify altered areas by means of reforestation, and the agriculture producers have been requesting seeds and seedlings in order to apply Agro-forest Systems. However, a great obstacle to this program has been the lack of knowledge about seed germination technologies and seedling production, on a commercial scale and with quality standards. To address these deficiencies, this project aims to research native species with potential use in these syst ...

Status: Completed     Start date: Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2008

Smallholder Capsicum pepper growers in Uganda are operating below the ideal levels of agricultural production due to a lack of improved varieties, low quality seed systems and the devastation caused by pests and diseases. The damages caused by diseases are aggravated by the cultivation of susceptible germplasm and the use of poor quality seeds. In order to increase production and competitiveness in the market, farmers need to have access to clean seeds of cultivars that are tolerant to diseas

Status: Completed     Start date: Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2015

In Brazil, milk production is practiced by more than one million farmers, mostly smallholders, who have the most important sources of feed for the herd in pasture and forage grass cropping for cut-and-carry. One of the major demands of farmers is on improved forage cultivars for cutting and grazing that can meet the nutritional needs of herds throughout the year. Elephantgrass, in addition to its superior performance in the establishment of cut-and-carry plantations (i.e. green chopped, hay, and

Status: Completed     Start date: Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2007