Mapping Native Seed Banks of Communities in Piemonte Norte do Itapicuru, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Native Seed Banks of Communities (SBC) are one of the important social technologies that enables the coexistence with the climate in the Semiarid region of Brazil. These banks can supply appropriate seeds due to the genetic improvement carried out by farmers over generations, in addition to the traditional knowledge associated with them. The poor water distribution in part of the states in the Northeast region of Brazil makes family farmers to depend on rainfall and adapted seeds to grow viable crops. In this sense, native seeds are the most suitable due to their robustness and ideal adaptation to the environment and cultivation systems used in the region. Moreover, the conservation of native seeds in germplasm banks is an important strategy for minimizing the impacts of conventional agriculture. Thus, the objective of this study was to map seed banks of communities within the Piemonte Norte do Itapicuru Territory, state of Bahia, Brazil. The research was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic and presented a qualitative character through a study case methodology. The steps for data collection were: identification of SBC through information from technical advisory entities; georeferencing of the SBC locations; and description of SBC specificities. Eight seed banks were mapped, distributed in three municipalities: Antonio Gonçalves, Campo Formoso, and Pindobaçu. Although the territory is composed of nine municipalities, six of them do not have this technology.