Economic viability of a silvopastoral system with and without the inclusion of carbon credits

• Published in: Caatinga 2024, Vol.37
• Main Authors: Ferreira, Júlio C S., Silva, José A. A. da, Ferreira, Rinaldo L. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE, DAIRY & ANIMAL SCIENCE; AGRONOMY; FISHERIES; FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY; FORESTRY; VETERINARY SCIENCES
• ISSN: 0100-316X; 1983-2125; 1983-2125
• DOI: 10.1590/1983-21252024v3711721rc

ABSTRACT This study analyzes the economic viability of exotic and native caatinga forest species grown in silvopastoral systems, combined with the Guinea grass forage crop, compared to monoculture forestry systems, using carbon credits as an alternative source of extra income, aiming for an economic return on the sale of standing timber for firewood production. The experiment was conducted at the Experimental Station of the Pernambuco Agricultural Research Institute (IPA) in Belém do São Francisco, located in the semi-arid region of the state of Pernambuco, in the Itaparica micro region. Four tree crops were chosen, two of which are native to the Caatinga biome: Angico (Anadenanthera colubrina var. Cebil) and Aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão), and two exotic eucalyptus clones, E. urophylla x E. tereticornis. Guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq) was chosen as the forage. The intercropping of Guinea grass with the two eucalyptus clones proved to be economically viable in all the economic parameters analyzed, and this is the most suitable for marketing standing wood for firewood production. It is not economically advisable to sell the standing wood for firewood production in the monoculture and silvopastoral systems with the native species (Angico and Aroeira) at 96 months of age due to the system's economic unfeasibility. By adding the possibility of financial credit through the atmospheric carbon sequestered by the trees, it is possible to make all the costs of forestry crops in silvopastoral and monoculture systems economically viable. RESUMO O trabalho analisa a viabilidade econômica de essências florestais, exóticas e nativas da caatinga, cultivadas em sistemas silvipastoris, consorciados a cultura forrageira do capim Tanzânia, comparados aos de monocultivo florestal, utilizando-se do crédito de carbono como alternativa de renda extra, visando retorno econômico na venda da madeira em pé para produção de lenha. O experimento foi conduzido na estação Experimental do Pernambuco Agricultural Research Institute (IPA), no município de Belém do São Francisco, localizado na região Semiárida do estado de Pernambuco, Microrregião de Itaparica. Foram escolhidos quatro cultivos arbóreos, sendo eles dois nativos do bioma Caatinga: o Angico (Anadenanthera colubrina var. Cebil), a Aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão), e dois clones exóticos de eucalipto, E. urophylla x E. tereticornis. Em relação a forrageira, foi escolhido o capim Tanzânia (Panicum maximum J