Abstract

RIGHI, E. et al. Farm typology of the sweet cherry production sector of southern Argentinean Patagonia. Agriscientia [online]. 2011, vol.28, n.1, pp.85-97. ISSN 1668-298X.

Farm typology identification is a useful tool to summarize the diversity that is intrinsic to every farming system and it can be efficiently used to carry out a rational and methodical selection of representative farms within the context of research and extension projects. However, the methodologies that are most commonly used to produce a typology present some features that limit its expeditious application for the selection of pilot farms. The objective of this study was to make a quantitative identification and characterization of farm typologies based on multivariate analysis of the farms of southern Argentinian Patagonia that grow sweet cherry. An innovative methodology which combines multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis and similarity percentages analysis was applied and six relevantly different farm types were defined. The advantages of this method for the selection of representative farms are shown and discussed by individualizing one pilot farm within each type.

Keywords : Quantitative characterization; Multidimensional scaling; Farming systems diversity; Multivariate analysis.

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