Desenvolvimento tecnológico e conservação de germoplasma: avaliação de variedades tradicionais de feijão-caupi (vigna unguiculata (l.) walp.) por meio de unidades de referência em Bacabal-MA

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a vital crop for family farming, being essential for food security and income generation among small farmers. This study had the general objective of: implementing and evaluating demonstration units of traditional cowpea varieties (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) in the municipality of Bacabal-MA, integrating scientific research and rural extension activities aimed at the conservation of agrobiodiversity and the dissemination of sustainable agricultural practices. Its specific objectives were: to implement demonstration units with traditional cowpea varieties under field conditions; to evaluate agronomic aspects of the cultivated varieties, such as vegetative development and productivity; to promote extension activities aimed at disseminating cowpea cultivation practices to family farmers; to contribute to the conservation of traditional varieties adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions of the municipality of Bacabal; and to strengthen the integration between academic research and university extension in the context of training in Biological Sciences. This study has characteristics of applied, descriptive, field, and experimental research, with a quantitative focus. The data collected indicate that the traditional varieties analyzed have great potential for application in family farming production systems, in addition to being fundamental for the preservation of local agrobiodiversity. It concludes that the installation of demonstration units is a fundamental strategy for preserving agrobiodiversity and valuing traditional agricultural knowledge.