Abstract
Farmers' local knowledge about soil quality and management practices should be considered to assess the impact of agricultural technology packages on the environmental performance of agro-ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the soil quality under agroecological production in southern Brazil, which was considered of good quality by the farmers' perception. From August to November 2017, ten farms from Liberdade settlement were visited, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect information about soil and agricultural knowledge. “What does good quality soil mean? What cares for preserve soil quality? Does the soil location in landscape influence conservation practices?” were the questions asked. In May 2018, soil samples were collected from each area, and chemical, physical, and biological attributes were determined. All farmers mentioned the organic matter indicated good soil quality; however, the study showed that most soils have low content, a consequence of the annual tillage adopted by all farmers for the implantation of seeds crops; Farmers indicated that a good quality soil has "life" with the presence of organisms. In our study, a low population of mites and springtails in most areas was observed. Positive farmers’ perception about the organic matter content and soil organism’s presence in their agroecological production areas come from the degradation history of the areas, at the same time that they attribute improvements in soil quality due to the actions adopted over the 10 years of agroecological production.
Highlights
The Farmers' local knowledge about soil quality and management practices should be considered to better assess the impact of agricultural technology packages on the socio-economic and environmental performance of agro-ecosystems (Kuria et al 2018; Morshedi et al 2017; Tesfahunegn et al 2016; Mairura et al 2007; Bellon & Taylor, 1993).Farmers’ field experience is an entry point to soil quality assessment at the regional level, especially in regions with limited resources (Prudat et al 2018)
This study aimed to evaluate the soil quality under agroecological production in southern Brazil, which was considered of good quality by the farmers' perception
All farmers mentioned the organic matter indicated good soil quality; the study showed that most soils have low content, a consequence of the annual tillage adopted by all farmers for the implantation of seeds crops; Farmers indicated that a good quality soil has "life" with the presence of organisms
Summary
The Farmers' local knowledge about soil quality and management practices should be considered to better assess the impact of agricultural technology packages on the socio-economic and environmental performance of agro-ecosystems (Kuria et al 2018; Morshedi et al 2017; Tesfahunegn et al 2016; Mairura et al 2007; Bellon & Taylor, 1993).Farmers’ field experience is an entry point to soil quality assessment at the regional level, especially in regions with limited resources (Prudat et al 2018). The Farmers' local knowledge about soil quality and management practices should be considered to better assess the impact of agricultural technology packages on the socio-economic and environmental performance of agro-ecosystems (Kuria et al 2018; Morshedi et al 2017; Tesfahunegn et al 2016; Mairura et al 2007; Bellon & Taylor, 1993). Buthelezi-Dube et al (2019) revealed that local qualitative soil fertility knowledge of farmers links to crop performance and potentially supports laboratory soil analysis for smallholder agriculture in eastern South Africa. Adeyolanu et al (2018) showed that farmers' perception of soil quality and soil scientists correlate well, i.e., farmers' perception identified compaction, erosion, low soil fertility as a result of low nutrient availability and retention, termite infestation, poor drainage, flooding, high land-use intensity without proper management and all these have the resultant effect of decreased crop yield or low productivity in Southwestern Nigeria.
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