Potencialidade de terras para irrigação do Território Indígena Potiguara para a cultura do milho

Abstract

The present report on the Mandatory Supervised Internship (MSI), developed under the supervision of the Embrapa Soils researcher, Dr. José Coelho de Araújo Filho, analyzes the potential for irrigation of lands within the Potiguara indigenous territory, specifically for corn cultivation. The studied territory is located on the northern coast of Paraíba, covering approximately 21.2 thousand hectares and is recognized as traditional land of the Potiguara indigenous people. The area comprises various soil classes, predominantly Argisols, Spodosols, Gleysols, Neosols, as well as areas with mangrove soils. Overall, the lands demonstrate a medium irrigation potential for corn production, with the main limiting parameters being the textural class (V), the percentage of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ (Y), the basic infiltration rate (I), and the depth of the reduction zone (W). The collected data showed corn cultivation as a viable option for agricultural activity in about 70.67% of the soils within the Potiguara territory. Thus, highlighting the importance of the results obtained in this study, as they can be used to contribute to more informed choices regarding sustainable and efficient soil management, as well as the increased productivity and sustainable growth of the people in this territory. Finally, a cartographic map was created for a better representation of the area and the results of classes and potentials obtained in the study.