Characterization and functioning of the strawberry innovation system in Salto

Abstract

In this study, the Strawberry Innovation System in Salto (SIS) is analyzed, characterizing its main actors, according to their role and level of involvement. Technological innovations in the sector took place through a process that integrated the information generated by public research with the traditional culture of the region's producers, giving rise to alternative technologies that allowed the sustainable intensification of production. The methodology used in the research was the case study, which belongs to the qualitative paradigm; data collection was based on the conduction of eight semi-structured interviews with qualified informants of different types. Based on the results, it can be pointed out that in Salto, Uruguay, there has been a SIS working for decades, whose actors are: the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA by its Spanish acronym), the Agronomy College, the General Directorate of the Farm (DIGEGRA), a group of nurserymen, businesses selling supplies and services, the “Salto Hortícola” producer organization, the producers themselves and technical advisers. The synergic functioning of the system is explained by the role of research, which produces knowledge; its interaction with the strawberry nurserymen (primary dialogue network) to validate technologies, and the exchange developed with the rest of the actors to address production problems. It was found that there is a broader dialogue network, in which producers exchange technological proposals, contributing to the sustainability of cultivation in the re-gion.