Nível tecnológico na cultura da mamona nos agropolos cearense de desenvolvimento

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the technologies adopted in the culture of castor oil plant and to identify their determinants. In order to measure the technological level, indexes for the technologies of adubation, cultural treatment, harvest, post-harvest and management were calculated. In order to check the determinants which influence the adoption of technologies in this culture, the quantile regression model was used. Primary data collected directly from 384 castor bean producers located in twelve development poles in the state of Ceará were used. The results indicated that the cultural treatment technology showed a good technological standard, whereas the other technologies proved insufficient in the castor oil plant culture. It was also observed that the schooling level, experience, quantity of workers, training and cooperativism are significant to explain the technological levels adopted in the castor oil plant culture, whereas the age of the producer and the use of castor oil plant as main activity did not influence the adoption of technologies in this culture.