Common Soil Types in Mato Grosso do Sul
In the areas of Mato Grosso do sul it has a high varierty of soils. The most common soil types are as follows... Dark-Red Latossolo 23.64%, Yellowish-Red Latossolo 17.18%, Yellowish-Red Podzolico 24%
This are the main Soil types. There are other 24 types that are found in the area but in very small amounts, reaching up to 7% of the area on a few of them.
Do to the focus in Urucu I will be talking into more depth about the soils that are favorable for its production.
The Dark red latossolo is a soil with very good physical characteristics. It is not prone to superficial erosion giving it grate advantage. It has very high drainage capacity with high percentaje of pores. Do to this it is considered a highly permeable soil, which explains the reason of why it is not prone to superficial erosion. It has around 8-18% of Fe203 and is also considered as a mineral soil.
Do to the very good physical conditions it is a soil in which agriculture goes well do to the easy use of machinery and the facility of root infiltration and others. But there is a catch. It is a highly acid soil and distrophic. This will have to be corrected and worked upon by chemical fertilizers and adubation.
Yellowish-Red Lactossolo is very similar to the Dark red. It is a more loamy soil but at the same time are well drained. It has around 6-11% of Fe203 but with an average of 7%. It downside shows itself in the chemical characteristics being a land that need to be corrected for its low level of nutrients. It is highly used for grazing and agricultural production.
Best Soil Texture for Urucu
Urucu preferes a well drained, easily penetrable soil. Thus, making the above described soils exeptional. It prefers what is called as deep soil, which means it has a thick top layer.
Soil Erosion
Soil erosion is not a problem for this region do to the texture of the soil and the high drainage capaability it has. Do to the loamy texture it is not prone to wind erosion and do to the high drainage capacity it is not prone to water erosion.
Nutrient Needed
Do to the limitaitons of the soil being in the chemical characteristics there will need to have a adubation and fertilization program. The soil will need to be added a NPK solution to create the perfect ambient for urucu production.
Cropping Systems
Do to the fact that the urucu plant is a perenial plant there will be little to no crop rotation. This is not ideal but also do to the fact that urucu are shrubby trees, it is possible to create an agroforestry system that contains a different amount of plant and animal species than a normal plantation would have. To have it as a polyculture you would need to have rows with the correct spacing to be able to have enough sunlight for all the cultivars. The main focus will be urucu, which needs to be the most beneficiated. There will be no Tillage in the land do to the nature of the plants and that the soil needs no disturbance do to its excelent physical characteristics.
