Etnopedolgia na unidade de produção agrícola familiar Canto da Ilha de Cima, São Miguel do Gostoso, RN

Abstract

The union and the exchange of knowledge between the peasantry and the academy are very important tools for environmental studies, proper management of agroecosystems and the inclusion of technologies adapted to semi-arid conditions. The aim of this study was to describe morphologically the soil and classify it according to Ethnopedological studies in the Family Agricultural Production Unit Canto da Ilha de Cima, São Miguel do Gostoso (RN). Participatory research was conducted from January to December 2015. In the exploratory phase of the research were carried out field activities, meetings and workshops in the community involving farmers, technicians, students and teachers. In the soil classification study the emic [local] and the etic [academic] knowledges were used. Eight soil profiles were excavated in five different areas of the production unit (grazing of sheep and goats, beekeeping area, agroecological cultivation of vegetables, preserved caatinga and conventional production area - the area called Old Chica). In the emic [local] classification prevailed the impressions and qualitative analyzes of morphological and physical properties of soil in an objective and inteperative way through the light of ethnopedology. Farmers classified the lands as good land, piebald ox earth and old chica land as the most important in terms of fertility for crops, differentiating those from the arisco [a sandy soil] and the piçarro [a muddy-stony soil] lands. In the etic [academic] classification was used the Brazilian System of Soil Classification. In the etic classification were identified the Typical Carbonate Haplic Cambisols soils, YELLOW Typical Eutrophic Oxisols, RED YELLOW Typical Eutrophic Latosols, YELLOW Eutrophic Acrisols Latosols, Typical Eutrophic Haplic Cambisols Tb and Typical Carbonate Haplic Vertisols. The emic [local] and etic [academic] classifications performed in this study had a close relationship with each other, since the morphological attributes characterized from different methodological criteria contributed to affirm the importance of Ethnopedology