Potencial edafoclimático da região chapada Diamantina na Bahia para os cultivos de citros e pêssego.

Abstract

This study had the objective of evaluating the potential of the Chapada Diamantina region in the Bahia- State, and Brazil to verify the soil and climate conditions for introducing exotics crops in the region. It was used thirty three locations average data of air temperature and rainfall forthe time period from 1950 to 1994. The air temperature was estimated for those locations without observed data. A simulation of the hydric balance according to Thornthwaite & Mather (1955) was used to estimat the evapotranspiration, hydric deficience, hydric excess and Thornthwaite (1948) climatic indexes. The hydric balance parameters were used to determine the regions with full aptitude for growing cytrus and peach crops In order to stablish the region with soil and climate potential for the peach crop the accumulated "cold hours" were calculated by usyng a linear regression. The hydric balance results were used for dividing the region in the following aptitude zones for the cytrus cropping: Full Aptitude in around 15% of the region, corresponding to the Western side of the Chapada Diamantina (wetter area of the region): Moderate Aptitude in 42% of the region, distributed throughtout the region: Marginal Aptitude in 3% of the region (Piata location): Inaptitude in 39% of the region (lee of the Diamantina mountain). For the peach crop it was obstained an unique aptitude zone: Full Aptitude, corresponding to 24% of the region locations (areas with higher altitudes). It was concluded that there is a greater the region has soil and climate potential for the cytrus and a low potential for the peach croping. However, the introduction of others temperate and subtropical climates crops is possible, mainly due to the region relief that provides climate and soil exceptional characteristics.