Arborização com frutíferas a baixo custo no semiárido nordestino: estudo de caso da espécie umbu-cajá (Spondias bahienis) na cidade de São José do Seridó/RN

Abstract

The umbu-cajá (Spondias. bahiensis) is a fruit tree native to the Brazilian semi-arid region, explored in an extractive system and without irrigation, whose fruits are consumed by the population. The present work aimed to implement a fruit tree planting project and to analyze the survival of plant cuttings, planted in the urban area of the municipality of São José do Seridó/RN, to promote fruit production and urban afforestation. With regard to methodology, it began with a meeting with the representative of the municipality's Department of the Environment and academics residing in the city. In the second half of 2022, 15 stakes with a minimum height of 2.5 m, taken from adult plants, were planted in central beds. In the act of planting, sand was replaced in the hole. In addition, they were irrigated twice a week, until the onset of the rains in 2023. Thus, in the evaluation carried out in May 2023, the survival of the referred species was 100%. Thus, the study on the introduction of Umbu-cajá in the urban area points to a pragmatic, low-cost alternative that can be replicated in the process of afforestation of empty spaces in cities in the semi-arid region, since the aforementioned species, as it is native, Resistant to water stress and undemanding in terms of soil, it has fruits that are highly appreciated by the population.