J.L. Troncoso, M. Aguirre, P. Manríquez, V. Labarra, and Y. Ormazábal. 2010. The influence of physical attributes on the price of land: the case of the province of Talca, Chile. Cien. Inv. Agr. 37(3): 105-112.This study aims at estimating the percent impact on the price of farmland of the following physical attributes: size, soil quality, water rights, connectivity and location. To this effect, all the farm sales occurred in the province of Talca between 2003 and 2006 were examined, directly from the corresponding title deeds, at the Conservador de Bienes Raíces (Property Register) of Talca, obtaining thus a total of 92 observations. Subsequently, a linear function was estimated, with price per hectare as the dependent variable and the physical attributes listed above, as explanatory variables. Analysis showed that the most influential variable is location (i.e. county) and in a very minor degree, connectivity (i.e. distance to the nearest paved road), water rights, soil quality and size. Talca is the preferred county, as location in other counties has negative impacts on price. Size and connectivity have negative impacts, while water rights and soil quality have positive impacts on price.

A B S T R A C TWhen establishing strategic lines for agricultural activities, geomatic and its diverse technologies allow generating a highly representative and reliable characterization of the territory, expressed in a dynamic and flexible digital data base. This helps the planning and monitoring of the productive changes observed in lands benefited with the increase of irrigation water and the improvement of its distribution network. The main goal of the investigation was to create a Geographic Information System (GIS), feed it with farming and socioeconomic information bases allowing the identification of homogeneous intervention sectors and the establishment of an agricultural exploitation typology of the zones directly or indirectly benefited by the construction of the "Convento Viejo" Dam in its second stage. The methodology employed included the creation of a digital database from the compilation and processing of different sources and formats of digital geographic cover, geo-processing of the covers to identify homogenous intervention zones, design and application of a survey to classify the agricultural exploitations and the elaboration of a GIS consultation interphase. Four homogeneous geographic sectors were identified and delimited by topographic, agricultural and climatic variables. The agricultural exploitations typology resulted in four conglomerates (clusters) grouped according to social, productive, financial and commercial variables. The designed GIS allows easy consultation and analysis of the information improving agricultural management and planning.