The Perception of Soil Quality of the Southeast Pampa of Argentina and Social Attitudes
Ana Ferrazino, Silvia E Ratto, Victor Cervio, Lidia Giuffré

Abstract
It is essential to know how producers perceive soil quality, what indicators must be evaluated, and what similarities and differences exist between the producer and expert regard. There are multiple forms of knowledge, values, and practices in communities that could be recovered for incorporation into the design of soil management programs. The objectives of this work were to implement a pilot testing of a perception survey of soil quality with a test developed by the University of Wisconsin to determine the fit between the existing soil quality indicators -physical, chemical, biological- and the interpretation of producers, in Southeast Pampa Argentina (Azul, Balcarce and Tandil), and to know and understand the socio-economic indicators involved in the quality of the soil from the perspective of the group interaction of those same producers. The questionnaire is a tool of great application value to alert the farmers about soil health. Reformulation related to better comprehension of the questions and adequacy of the answers is necessary in some cases, and other issues could be incorporated to increase the obtained information. The value of producer as social actor, taking into account socio-economic aspects, showed that perception of soil quality introduces the cultural, social and personal context of the farmers. Producers perceive problems in a different way than experts, but are able to identify problems and solutions according to their expertise.

Full Text: PDF