{"id":2636,"date":"2024-08-28T13:03:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T11:03:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novasoil-project.eu\/?p=2636"},"modified":"2024-08-28T13:09:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T11:09:27","slug":"farmers-perceptions-of-soil-challenges-and-opportunities-for-sustainable-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novasoil-project.eu\/index.php\/2024\/08\/28\/farmers-perceptions-of-soil-challenges-and-opportunities-for-sustainable-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Farmers’ perceptions of soil: challenges and opportunities for sustainable agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Soil is one of agriculture’s most important yet fragile resources<\/strong><\/em>. Without healthy and fertile soils<\/a>, food production and environmental sustainability are at risk. However, how farmers perceive soil is crucial to understanding how they manage it and what practices they use to conserve it<\/em>. This paper explores how farmers in different parts of the world view soil as a resource, what their main concerns are and what can be done to improve soil health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farmers’ perceptions of soil in the agricultural and environmental context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Farmers are the primary stewards of soil and their perceptions of this resource directly influence how they manage it. Globally, soil is seen primarily as the basis for agricultural productivity. This perception is deeply rooted in the idea that fertile soil is essential to ensure good crop yields, which in turn underpin agricultural economies and food security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Europe, for example, Romanian farmers value soil for its ability to maintain fertility and support microbial life – key elements for agricultural productivity (Petrescu-Mag et al., 2020). Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, although soil tests are widely used to plan fertilisation, there is a notable mistrust of certain tests, such as those for phosphorus, which are perceived as not adequately reflecting nutrient availability to plants (Farmers’ Perceptions of Soil Tests, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Africa, perceptions vary according to local conditions. In Nigeria, farmers rely heavily on traditional methods to assess soil fertility, and despite the availability of digital technologies, their adoption remains limited (Farmers’ Perception and Practice of Soil Fertility Management, 2020). In Ghana and Tanzania, soil erosion and declining fertility are major concerns, with farmers observing how these issues directly affect agricultural productivity (Farmers’ Perception on Soil Erosion in Ghana, 2020; Farmers’ Perception of Soil Fertility Problems in Northern Tanzania, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Asia, farmers in India perceive soil erosion as a major threat, especially during the monsoon season, which drastically reduces agricultural productivity. While conservation practices are known, they are not always effective due to resource constraints (Farmers’ Perceptions of Soil Erosion and Management Strategies in South Bengal, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Main concerns of farmers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the journal articles reviewed, farmers face many challenges related to soil health:<\/p>\n\n\n\n