Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon
Of particular interest for extractivism in tropical forest areas are useful species that occur at high density, such as the palm tucuma (Astrocaryum tucuma Martius-syn. A. aculeatum G.F.W. Meyer), a colonizer of disturbed areas in the central Amazon, whose edible fruits have found an interesting mar...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
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2004
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/19209 |
| _version_ | 1855521442669527040 |
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| author | Schroth, Götz Mota, M.S.S. da Lopes, R. Freitas, A.F. de |
| author_browse | Freitas, A.F. de Lopes, R. Mota, M.S.S. da Schroth, Götz |
| author_facet | Schroth, Götz Mota, M.S.S. da Lopes, R. Freitas, A.F. de |
| author_sort | Schroth, Götz |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Of particular interest for extractivism in tropical forest areas are useful species that occur at high density, such as the palm tucuma (Astrocaryum tucuma Martius-syn. A. aculeatum G.F.W. Meyer), a colonizer of disturbed areas in the central Amazon, whose edible fruits have found an interesting market in that region. However, with an expected increase of tucuma plantations, the future of tucuma extractivism will depend on its capacity to produce fruits not only of sufficient quantity but also of consistently high quality. We studied the productivity and fruit quality of an extractively used population of tucuma palms in an area of 9 ha within a 25 ha shifting cultivation landscape composed of crop fields, homegardens, fallows and secondary forests in the proximity of Manaus during a 24-month period. The average density of tucuma palms was 30.4 ha-1, with highest values in secondary forests (43 ha-1) and lowest values in homegardens (19 ha-1). In contrast, the percentage of productive palms was higher in fields (93%) and homegardens (88%) than in fallows (66%) and secondary forests (50%), apparently as a combined effect of previous management and delayed reproduction under shade. Fruit yield per productive palm was significantly higher in homegardens (47 kg) than in fallows (16 kg) and secondary forests (15 kg), with intermediate values in the fields (27 kg). The most productive palms produced fruits of intermediate quality as measured through a taste index, while few palms producing high-quality fruits were also high yielding. A management plan was developed that allows maximization of fruit yields while progressively improving the quality characteristics of the extractively used population in an in situ domestication process. Being a low-cost and low-risk strategy, "improved extractivism" can be an appropriate way of growing the arboreal weed, tucuma, and can contribute to increased farm income while increasing the economic value of disturbed areas in the central Amazon |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace19209 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2004 |
| publishDateRange | 2004 |
| publishDateSort | 2004 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace192092025-01-24T14:12:33Z Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon Schroth, Götz Mota, M.S.S. da Lopes, R. Freitas, A.F. de agricultural land agroforestry astrocaryum tucuma crop yield crop quality fallow systems farm income forests fruits home gardens non-timber forest products productivity resource management resource utilization secondary forests shifting cultivation tropical forests sustainability Of particular interest for extractivism in tropical forest areas are useful species that occur at high density, such as the palm tucuma (Astrocaryum tucuma Martius-syn. A. aculeatum G.F.W. Meyer), a colonizer of disturbed areas in the central Amazon, whose edible fruits have found an interesting market in that region. However, with an expected increase of tucuma plantations, the future of tucuma extractivism will depend on its capacity to produce fruits not only of sufficient quantity but also of consistently high quality. We studied the productivity and fruit quality of an extractively used population of tucuma palms in an area of 9 ha within a 25 ha shifting cultivation landscape composed of crop fields, homegardens, fallows and secondary forests in the proximity of Manaus during a 24-month period. The average density of tucuma palms was 30.4 ha-1, with highest values in secondary forests (43 ha-1) and lowest values in homegardens (19 ha-1). In contrast, the percentage of productive palms was higher in fields (93%) and homegardens (88%) than in fallows (66%) and secondary forests (50%), apparently as a combined effect of previous management and delayed reproduction under shade. Fruit yield per productive palm was significantly higher in homegardens (47 kg) than in fallows (16 kg) and secondary forests (15 kg), with intermediate values in the fields (27 kg). The most productive palms produced fruits of intermediate quality as measured through a taste index, while few palms producing high-quality fruits were also high yielding. A management plan was developed that allows maximization of fruit yields while progressively improving the quality characteristics of the extractively used population in an in situ domestication process. Being a low-cost and low-risk strategy, "improved extractivism" can be an appropriate way of growing the arboreal weed, tucuma, and can contribute to increased farm income while increasing the economic value of disturbed areas in the central Amazon 2004 2012-06-04T09:09:13Z 2012-06-04T09:09:13Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/19209 en Schroth, G., Mota, M.S.S. da, Lopes, R., Freitas, A.F. de. 2004. Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon . Forest Ecology and Management 202 (1/3) :161-179. ISSN: 0378-1127. |
| spellingShingle | agricultural land agroforestry astrocaryum tucuma crop yield crop quality fallow systems farm income forests fruits home gardens non-timber forest products productivity resource management resource utilization secondary forests shifting cultivation tropical forests sustainability Schroth, Götz Mota, M.S.S. da Lopes, R. Freitas, A.F. de Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon |
| title | Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon |
| title_full | Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon |
| title_fullStr | Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon |
| title_short | Extractive use, management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm, Astrocaryum tucuma, in the central Amazon |
| title_sort | extractive use management and in situ domestication of a weedy palm astrocaryum tucuma in the central amazon |
| topic | agricultural land agroforestry astrocaryum tucuma crop yield crop quality fallow systems farm income forests fruits home gardens non-timber forest products productivity resource management resource utilization secondary forests shifting cultivation tropical forests sustainability |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/19209 |
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