Agroforestry and Trees in Brazil

By Gary Wyatt, Jeff Coulter and Suzanne Driessen

The semi-tropical and tropical climate in Brazil offers an array of beneficial species of trees and shrubs which can be used for food, fiber, paper, wood products, windbreaks and aesthetic value. The soil in Brazil is red in color, and varies considerably in soil texture. In the state of Sao Paulo, soils were often composed of 60% sand, but in the state of Panara the soils are predominantly clay loam. Soils in Brazil are of volcanic origin and developed under forest. This, along with the warm annual temperatures and high rainfall contribute to the low organic matter levels in these soils. Annual rainfall in the southern region of Brazil is approximately 40 to 50 inches annually. Producers in Brazil can grow crops in both the winter and summer seasons. There is also considerable crop diversity, as it is common to see soybean, banana, rubber, and orange plantations adjacent to each other.

Agroforestry is common in much of southern Brazil. The BMV Agro-Industrial Cooperative (www.agroluta.com.br) we visited uses wood from the eucalyptus tree as a fuel for drying harvested corn to grain moisture levels that are suitable for storage. Specifically they use approximately 1 cubic meter of wood to dry 500 bushels of corn from 20% to 14% moisture. Their cost is $18 per cubic meter. Other sources of fuel are too expensive, and they do not have the option of using propane because they lack the infrastructure for propane transport and storage. The eucalyptus tree is a fast growing tree which was introduced from Australia and can be harvestable in 5 years. In addition to its use as a fuel source, it is also used for fiber, paper, and various other products.

Crown of thorns, a floral house plant in Minnesota, is grown as a vegetative fence and windbreak in Brazil. It is commonly found along property boundaries and grows in a thick, dense, and thorny thicket. However, it can be pruned as a hedge, and it blooms most of the year, thereby adding beauty to the landscape.

We also visited the second largest orange plantation in the world, which was 9,000 acres. In this plantation, windbreaks of trees were used as a physical barrier between orange fields to help reduce or minimize the movement of insect infestations.

Another visit was to a rubber tree plantation with over 200,000 rubber trees. This plantation not only increased diversity to the landscape, but it also increased rural income. The trees can begin production as early as 8 years of age. Tiny diagonal slits are made and the bark is removed each week to produce the white rubber (latex) which is collected in a container attached to the tree.

Overall, the wide range of diversity in tree species and Agroforestry in Brazil contribute to a sustainable multifunctional landscape, where trees have economic, social, aesthetic, and environmental impacts.