This study, based on vegetable production fields, combined soil quality assessed by three approaches (qualitatively by farmers, semi-quantitatively by a researcher and quantitatively by laboratory analyses) with the aim of improving the integration of the different approaches. We interviewed 79 peri-urban vegetable growers in two communities within the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. Eight of the farmers were selected to participate in the farmer-based assessment of soil quality. Further, visual evaluation of soil quality was conducted by the researcher, followed by laboratory analyses of soil properties to corroborate the farmers’ assessment of good and poor soils in their fields. Results showed that the farmers used locally-defined characteristics to describe the physical, biological and crop performance indicators of soil quality. There was, in general, limited use and understanding of soil chemical properties as indicators of soil quality. The farmers’ perception on soil quality of their fields largely influenced their decision on the type of crops they cultivate, and application regimes of mineral fertilizers. Results from the visual evaluation by the researcher agreed in some respects with the farmers’ assessment of soil quality of the good and poor soils in their respective farms. Laboratory analyses did not show specific trends for the content of chemical properties for neither good nor poor soils. The study highlighted that none of the approaches of soil quality assessment is necessarily superior in and of itself. We emphasized the need for integration to capitalize on the strengths of each approach, enhance mutual learning between farmers and soil scientists, build the capacity of farmers, and improve their decision on soil use for agricultural production.

中文翻译：

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加纳城郊蔬菜生产中农民知识和基于科学的土壤质量评估的整合

本研究以蔬菜生产领域为基础，结合三种方法（农民定性、研究人员半定量和实验室分析定量）评估土壤质量，旨在改善不同方法的整合。我们采访了加纳苏尼亚尼市两个社区的 79 名城郊蔬菜种植者。选择了 8 名农民参加基于农民的土壤质量评估。此外，研究人员对土壤质量进行了视觉评估，随后对土壤特性进行了实验室分析，以证实农民对其田地中好土壤和贫瘠土壤的评估。结果表明，农民使用当地定义的特征来描述土壤质量的物理、生物和作物性能指标。有，一般来说，作为土壤质量指标的土壤化学特性的使用和理解有限。农民对其田地土壤质量的看法在很大程度上影响了他们对种植作物类型和矿物肥料施用方式的决定。研究者目视评价的结果在某些方面与农民对各自农场的好土和贫土土壤质量的评价一致。实验室分析没有显示出好土和贫土的化学性质含量的具体趋势。该研究强调，没有一种土壤质量评估方法本身就必然优越。我们强调了整合的必要性，以利用每种方法的优势，加强农民和土壤科学家之间的相互学习，