Papel de floriculturas on farm no uso e conservação do patrimônio genético das plantas

Abstract

In the context of family farming, the practice of floriculture plays a fundamental role in diversifying plant use and conserving plant species, contributing to the on-farm conservation

of plant genetic resources. In this study, this practice is defined as on-farm floriculture. On- farm conservation can be considered a complementary strategy to in situ conservation, as it

allows species to continue their evolutionary processes, thus serving as an important method for conserving the genetic diversity of both native and exotic agrobiodiversity. The objective was to diagnose the role of on-farm floricultures in the use and conservation of plant genetic heritage in cultivation areas in the state of Paraíba, Brazil. The survey was carried out in 16 on-farm floricultures through technical visits conducted between July 2022 and September 2023. A total of 140 species were identified, distributed across 41 families and 108 genera. Of these species, 64.3% are exotic, 27.9% are native, and 7.8% are naturalized. Regarding extinction risk status, most species were classified as Not Evaluated (83.6%), followed by Least Concern (12.9%), Near Threatened (0.7%), Vulnerable (1.4%), and Data Deficient (1.4%). A high potential for multifunctional use was recorded: of the 140 species, 70% (n = 98) had only one attributed use (food, medicinal, condiment, or ornamental), while 20% (n = 28) had two uses, 9.3% (n = 13) had three functions, and only one species (0.7%) simultaneously served all four categories. Most species were ornamental (92.1%), followed by medicinal (27.1%), non-conventional food plants (15%), and spices (5.0%). Pollination by insects (entomophily) was the predominant syndrome, occurring in 86.4% of the species. Among entomophilous species, bee pollination (melittophily) was the most frequent (61.1%), followed by butterflies (psychophily) (15.4%) and beetles (cantharophily) (9%). In the evaluated on-farm floricultures, the diversified cultivation of species, including native and local varieties, plays an important role in both in situ and ex situ conservation, contributing to the preservation of plant genetic heritage and promoting more sustainable practices in floriculture. The multifunctional uses of species cultivated in on-farm floricultures support production diversification, employment and income generation, and the strengthening of regional identity, thus fulfilling an important social and cultural role.