"Diversidade de insetos e produtividade em cultivo solteiro e consorciado de brócolis e rabanete com e sem bordadura de manjericão, como estratégia de produção alternativa sustentável".

Abstract

In the last decades, agriculture has achieved several advances in the technological aspect, characterizing modern agriculture, which uses different inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides. These products and the way the crops are managed have caused several environmental problems, such as contamination of soil, water and health problems for farmers. Low-impact cultivation strategies are being developed, such as conservative biological control that uses plants to attract natural enemies. Among the plants, basil stands out for its aromatic and floristic characteristics, which increase the diversity of insects in the crops. In this context, the research aimed at evaluating the diversity of insects and the productivity associated with the cultivation of broccoli and radish, with and without basil borders. During the experimental period, 1,635 individuals were collected, belonging to five orders and 32 insect families. Consortia with the presence of basil had an increase in the number of individuals per family, when compared to individual and borderless systems, especially phytophagous, entomophagous and floral visitors. The productive efficiency of the broccoli and radish consortia was also evaluated, with and without basil borders, all being efficient from the agronomic point of view, as the results indicated an equivalence index greater than 1. The cultivation of broccoli associated with radish increased the economic yield of the area by 29%, while the same cultivation system with basil borders increased the final yield by 23%. Thus, intercropped farming systems are an alternative to pest control, since there is an increase in beneficial individuals and then an increase in ecological relationships within the community. Consortia also make the best use of the area, increasing economic profitability and, consequently, a sustainable production alternative for small rural properties.