Un acercamiento a modelos productivos interculturales: integración de los saberes locales en la producción de fríjol, maíz y batata biofortificados en la Sierra Nevada

In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, farmers and indigenous communities converge under
contrasting conditions of soil quality, access to water supply, agroinputs and traditional knowledge
linked to the production of beans, corn and sweet potatoes. The objective of this work was to
characterize the soil, study the agronomic behavior of biofortified varieties of beans (Phaseolus
vulgaris L.), corn (Zea mays L.) and sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas L.) established in monoculture
in the case of beans and in association for the case of corn-sweet potato, in production plots with
agroecological management, conventional management and without management, under two

contrasting environments (in the Arhuaca community and in the peasant community) located in the
municipality of Valledupar, and make an exploratory approach. to the description of the ethnic bean
production system. Physicochemical characterization of the soil was carried out in both locations. The
ecophysiological evaluation and performance variables of bean crops in monoculture and corn in
association with sweet potato were carried out. A multidisciplinary and mixed methodology was
applied in which in-depth interviews with ethnic groups converged to identify their own productive
model. It was found that the soil conditions in the indigenous community require greater soil
conditioning to maintain fertility in the long term. Likewise, the low content of organic matter and the
reduced microbial diversity of the soils in the two evaluated areas promotes the dissemination of
pathogens in bean seeds. In general terms, in both locations the bean, corn and sweet potato plants
responded positively to agroecological management. The integration of traditional practices into bean
production models requires the generation of joint work spaces between technicians, experts and
mamos to build easily measurable indicators on the condition of the farms that facilitate traceability
in bean production processes.