Ecological agriculture has stand out as an alternative of income for small farmers due to the people's awareness about the consumption of healthier food. In the State of Rio Grande do Sul, the Regional Association of Agro ecological Farmers in South Region (Arpasul), constituted by 48 families, is representative of this production and commercialization process which is being used as a referential for the present study. The main purpose of this work was the assessment of these agro ecological farmers' needs related to farm machinery. The information obtained was based in the usual production system, where aspects referent to farm, agricultural operations and specific needs about machines and implements were characterized. This research evidenced the necessity of attending the demands in the agricultural machinery area for this segment, and it can be useful for the development of new machines and/or improvement of the existing ones. The seeder of maize and bean was the machine indicated for the majority of farmers as their greatest necessity.
agro ecology; field's research; agricultural machines
