Diagnóstico de prática de manejo e qualidade de produção de cana-de-açúcar no brejo paraibano

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a crop of fundamental importance for the Brazilian agricultural market, with Brazil being the world leader in the production and export of its byproducts. The northeast region is the third largest sugarcane producing region, behind the southeast and central-west regions of Brazil. The management of any agricultural crop, and specifically sugarcane, has a tendency towards greater development of agricultural production, however. The present study aimed to conduct a qualitative survey of the management of sugarcane producing units in Brejo Paraibano. The study was carried out in the Brejo Paraibano region, a microregion of the state of Paraíba, choosing the municipalities of Areia and Alagoa Grande to apply the questionnaire targeted at sugarcane producers in the region. In the region, 100% of producers prepare the soil, control weeds and manage waste on their properties, while 60% do not irrigate their areas, 20% do not manage pests in their areas, 70% use ripeners in their areas and 90% renovate their areas. The management practiced in sugarcane production units in Brejo Paraibano and the practices adopted in the production units come from obsolete management methods. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt more effective management in the region, so that the production units can be more economically profitable, environmentally correct and socially fair.