The organic farming system production should result in more rational use of natural resources, especially the soil. Organic producers are required to adopt soil conservation practices and attend to other principles of that system. This work evaluated the management practices and soil conservation techniques used by organic and conventional producers in counties Socorro (Mantiqueira and Mogiana) and Ibiúna, located in the State of São Paulo. The objectives of this research were to verify producers' adoption of conservation practices as well as soil quality in organic and conventional agriculture. It was developed and the implemented a questionnaire, with site visits for verification of conservation practices and occurrence of erosion in 30 properties. The results of the environmental perception were expressed as indices to indicate the diversity of land use, the conservative attitude, the perception of erosion and impact on water resources. Soil chemical, physical and biological attributes indicators of soil quality were analyzed. It was concluded that organic producers have a higher perception on conservation procedure and organic farms generally have a higher diversity of crops; however, they do not have higher diversity of land use. The organic production of lettuce in Ibiúna showed higher biological activity and higher percentage of colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. The organic system had higher organic matter content and lower potassium. There was no significant difference on the physical attributes evaluated comparing conventional and organic systems.
organic agriculture; conservationist practices; biological activity
