Behavior of Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb. in agroforestry systems, from the Intag area, northwestern Ecuador

Abstract

The decrease in the productivity of agricultural systems has motivated farmers to complement them, introducing timber species, which provide additional goods and services. This research evaluated the behavior of Ochroma pyramidale in four agroforestry systems - SAF. The study was carried out in the Conrralá sector, Peñaherrera parish, Cotacachi, Imbabura. 96 individuals were used, distributed on boundaries in association with different crops, at a distance of 7 m. Monthly measurements of the variables were made: survival, basal diameter, height, crown diameter and health status. For the comparison between the systems, the Kruskal Wallis test was used. The basal diameter of the species presented higher values ​​in the SAF1 from the first month, the differences with the rest of the evaluated systems being statistically significant. The height variable did not present significant differences in the four systems until the second month, at which time a significant height lag was recorded in SAF4. As of month 10, the variable shows greater increases in SAF1. No significant differences were recorded in the crown diameter variable until the second month of the trial, when individuals from SAF4 began to be significantly relegated compared to the rest of the systems analyzed. The SAF1 showed higher average values ​​in all the variables analyzed; however, it presented the lowest survival of the four systems analyzed, the SAF2 showed mortality in the first month, with no record of loss of individuals until the end of the trial.