Dynamic Management of Maize Landraces in Central Mexico |
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Authors: | Hugo Perales R S B Brush C O Qualset |
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Institution: | (1) El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, ECOSUR Agroecologia, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Apartado Postal 63, 29290 Chiapas, Mexico;(2) Human and Community Development, University of California, 95616 Davis, CA;(3) Genetic Resources Conservation Program, University of California, 95616 Davis, CA |
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Abstract: | Conservationists of crop genetic resources have feared that in situ conservation was not viable for agriculture precisely
because of changes resulting from introduction of new varieties of existing crops, new crops, and new farm practices. In addition,
conservation within farming systems necessarily implies a constantly changing crop population resulting from the processes
of crop evolution. Even though in situ conservation of crop genetic resources is now generally understood to be dynamic, there
are few examples of how evolution takes place in farmers fields. This study describes several changes in maize landraces in
four communities along an altitude transect in Central Mexico (1200 to 2400 masl). While true modern varieties have not been
widely adopted in the study region, farmer management results in numerous changes in maize landrace populations. Five types
of dynamic management were observed: (1) purposeful hybridization between traditional and modern maize types, (2) possible
creation of a new maize landrace by directional selection of the progeny of hybridization between two traditional landraces,
(3) displacement of a local landrace by the introduction of a modern variety and a non-local landrace, (4) maintenance of
stable populations of a locally dominant landrace, and (5) market-driven selection for a minor variety. We concur that in
situ conservation of crops must be conceived as an open process where the objective is not to maintain historic varieties
or static genetic conditions. Rather, in situ conservation of crops is totally in the hands of the farmer, although interventions
may be designed to influence farmers’ management of agrobiodiversity. |
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Keywords: | Maize landraces crop management Mexico genetic resources crop conservation |
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