Rediscovering the edaphic knowledge of smallholder farmers in southern Ecuador

Abstract

Understanding farmer local knowledge of soil management practices and their fertility is vital to maintaining soil fertility in agricultural areas, which contributes to maintaining sustainable agro-ecosystems. In this study, soil fertility indicators and the farmer's management practices were investigated, while local knowledge was contrasted with scientific understanding. For this, 610 surveys were conducted with dichotomous and open questions that were applied in the 16 localities of the province of Loja in southern Ecuador; for their comparison, carbon and texture maps were generated utilizing the respondents' main indicators. Farmers visibly identify various soil parameters such as texture (53.9% sandy soils), color (64.3% black soils), workability (81.3% workable soils), and stoniness (64.6% soils do not have stoniness), as indicators of soil productivity, while applying soil management practices inherited mainly from their parents and grandparents. As such, there are many concordances such as some of the practices that respondents use that pollute the soil and others that conserve the soil; also some disagreements in certain study places between soil color according to local knowledge and carbon stocks, other disagreements were between the texture according to the perception of the respondents and the textural classes. The findings demonstrate respondents identify soil fertility through their experience using visible indicators; some practices to soil management can contribute to soil conservation, which is very important for future management practices and soil fertility conservation that can significantly influence the techniques that farmers implement.