Banca de DEFESA: MOISES TEODOZIO DA SILVA

ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF USE OF WATER FROM FORAGE PALM (NOPALEA COCHENILLIFERA) UNDER THE INTERFERENCE OF WEED PLANTS

Phytosociological indices, forage sales, cladode sales.

The objective of this work was to analyze the economic viability and efficiency of using water from cactus pear, subjected to different periods of interference from weeds. To conduct the experiment, DBC was adopted, with the small forage cactus variety being cultivated, subjected to 10 periods of control, without weeds (SPD) and 10 periods of coexistence with weeds (CPD). The weed plant community was evaluated using phytosociological indices, while the economic analysis consisted of relationships between production costs and revenues generated from the sale of palm as forage and as seeds. For the economic analysis, according to net revenues, the cultivation of forage cactus in the first cycle proved to be economically viable when 1/3 of the production was destined for the sale of cladode seeds, providing a profit of up to R$114836.78 (0 CPD) , while in the second cycle, the two forms of commercialization of forage cactus proved to be profitable activities as long as weed control is carried out, with revenues of up to 37730.00 from the sale of forage, and 121141.80 from the sale of forage (2/3) and seed cladode (1/3). The interference exerted by weeds caused major reductions in water use efficiency, with an 88.70% reduction in green mass production being observed in the first cycle, and in the second cycle this reduction was 95.61%. Regarding phytosociology, in the first cycle Mata pasto (Sida rhombifolia) obtained the highest indexes for Abu, Abr and IVI, with values of 3, 12 142.7, respectively, followed by Brachiaria decumbens (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk) , which under the same conditions presented Abu (19.0), Apr (76.0%) and IVI (169.1). In the second cycle, crabgrass (Panicum maximum) surpassed the other species with 36.4% of total Abu, and IVI in the order of 158.5, while Brachiaria decumbens (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk) reached second highest IVI with a value of 97.1. Based on the results presented, it can be concluded that the highest revenues were obtained when the crop lived all the time in a clean environment, regardless of the final destination of cactus production, and colonial grass (Panicum maximum) and Brachiaria decumbens (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk), as they have the highest phytosociological indices, are target species for future weed control programs.