NDLI: Maintenance of Squash (Cucurbita spp.) Landrace Diversity by Farmers' Activities in Mexico

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Montes Hernández, Salvador Merrick, Laura C. Eguiarte, Luis E.
Copyright Year	2005
Abstract	Squash (Cucurbita spp.) is a common component in traditional cropping systems in Mexico, mainly in the agroecosystem known as the “milpa”, in which squash is cultivated in association with maize (Zea mays), the main crop. Using a questionnaire, 80 farmers were interviewed about crop production and selection practices in order to understand how these factors affect genetic diversity of local squash populations. We found that the most of the farmers who cultivate squash were elderly 59.8 ± 14.5 (mean ± SD; n = 78) years old. Squash varieties in the area were exclusively locally adapted landraces, and had not been replaced by modern squash cultivars. Two cultivated squash species, C. argyrosperma ssp. argyrosperma and C. moschata, had been grown intercropped with maize by 97.5% of the interviewed farmers, but only 50.0% were still producing squash at the time of the study. Farmers recognize typical characteristics of particular varieties within each of the local cultivated squash species, and selection is directed to maintain their identity. Nearly two thirds of the farmers (62.0%) had exchanged seeds of squash for planting, a practice that serves to increase genetic variability in the populations. All of the interviewed farmers were conscious of the possible hybridization between the wild gourd (C. argyrosperma ssp. sororia) and their cultivated squash. Despite various natural and human managed factors identified as contributing to enhancement of genetic diversity in these populations, results of the study show that genetic erosion of Cucurbita is likely in the region in the near future.
Starting Page	697
Ending Page	707
Page Count	11
File Format	PDF
ISSN	09259864
Journal	Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution
Volume Number	52
Issue Number	6
e-ISSN	15735109
Language	English
Publisher	Kluwer Academic Publishers
Publisher Date	2005-01-01
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Cucurbita Diversity Farmers Landraces Mexico Squash Plant Sciences Plant Pathology Plant Physiology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Book Review
Subject	Genetics Plant Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Agronomy and Crop Science

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