RELATIONSHIP SOIL, CLIMATE AND AGRICULTURAL USE IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE FROM NORTH
Rio Grande do Norte, territory, agrarian system, land stock, soils
Even with the increasing incorporation of technical content in agrarian systems in Rio Grande do Norte in recent decades, the spatialization of agricultural activities still depends mainly on the natural factors of the soil and climate that satisfy the needs of water and nutrients of the plant, enabling its development. This dependence is even more pronounced in areas that have low implementation of agricultural techniques, given that the implementation of technical content does not have the same equity in the Potiguar territory. In this way, it is important to understand their relationships, their importance within the agrarian systems and how environmental aspects are spatialized in the territory of Rio Grande do Norte. For the development of this reasoning, we start from the analysis of three cultures practiced in the state: pineapple, banana and cashew, chosen for the economic importance of each one in the Potiguar territory and for their technical differences used for their development. Thus, the central objective of this research is to analyze the spatialization of pineapple, banana and cashew crops in the territory of Rio Grande do Norte, taking into account the relationship of environmental characteristics, especially edaphic and climatic factors, as well as as the potential for expansion of these crops, from existing land stocks. To achieve this objective, we developed a bibliographic review associated with the use of secondary data, to understand the spatialization of environmental aspects and selected cultures, thus understanding the use of the territory and mapping the state's land stocks in the environmental units where they are already practiced. the three cultures. These data, used and generated, through statistical procedures, made it possible to define an index entitled Environmental Quality Index for Agriculture (IQAPA), with the purpose of classifying land for agricultural suitability for pineapple, banana and cashew crops, indicating new areas where these cultures can develop.