In Pará, Brazil, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental has been quite important in adapting foreign crops like soybeans and corn, alongside enhancing citrus cultivation through genetic improvement programs.
Fábio de Lima Gurgel, an agronomist at Embrapa, highlights Pará's climatic benefits and its exemption from greening, a pervasive citrus disease. The state's frequent rainfall and absence of extreme temperature fluctuations have fostered citrus production growth, contrasting with challenges faced in Brazil's southeastern citrus belt.
Pará boasts significant citrus production hubs in Capitão Poço and the Tapajós region, focusing on sustainable practices and the rehabilitation of degraded lands without the need for deforestation. Embrapa's research has yielded practical advancements, including the development of a smaller orange tree cultivar, reducing harvest-related workplace accidents. This underscores Pará's evolving agricultural landscape, characterized by diversified crop cultivation and sustainable production methodologies.
Source: abrafrutas.org