Milpa System Research Articles

Nature-Based Solutions for Conservation and Food Sovereignty in Indigenous Communities of Oaxaca

The increasing demand for food and the overexploitation of natural resources rapidly deplete the planet’s ecosystems, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Nature-based solutions effectively promote agricultural sustainability and environmental conservation but require continuous financial and political support to overcome existing barriers. This research examines these solutions’ effectiveness in Santa María Jacatepec, a biocultural region of Indigenous peoples in the Papaloapan Basin, Oaxaca, Mexico. A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative analyses uses National Institute of Statistics and Geography data to evaluate socioeconomic and environmental indicators. The results indicate that despite pressures to develop cattle ranching, communities have maintained rain-fed agriculture, especially the milpa system, ensuring food sovereignty and preserving agricultural biodiversity. Additionally, implementation of Voluntarily Conserved Areas has facilitated access to payments for environmental services, incentivizing ecosystem protection. However, financial and structural challenges persist, limiting the expansion of these solutions. Santa María Jacatepec exemplifies how Indigenous communities can apply nature-based solutions to strengthen agricultural sustainability and environmental conservation. Integrating traditional knowledge and strengthening conservation policies can enhance community resilience and ensure sustainable development amid increasing pressure on natural ecosystems.

Cozinhas, milpa e coleta: resistências culinárias locais no litoral totonaco, em Veracruz (México)

Local cuisines can be considered spaces of resistance for knowledges and culinary practices in the presence of the implementation of various tourism and heritage projects. Some of these resistances are the transmission of knowledges, rituals around cooking, and the sale of harvested and collected products. In consideration of the above, this article aims to show through ethnographic analysis the resistance carried out by Totonaca women with the sale of products harvested and collected in milpas and the mountain, which are acquired and used in daily and ritual foods, or as basic ingredients in the preparations of restaurants on the Totonaca coast of Veracruz. The fieldwork was conducted in different periods (between 2019 and 2022), privileging ethnographic recording, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. Market tours were also carried out, as well as reviews of printed recipe books of Totonaca cuisine. The conclusion evidenced that resistances—such as the sale of harvested and collected edible plants—have made possible the construction of the so-called Totonaca cuisine, a cuisine that, although it has incorporated new and varied ingredients throughout its history, continues to have an intimate relationship with the milpa system and harvesting.

Diversity of the Maize Root Endosphere and Rhizosphere Microbiomes Modulated by the Inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens UM270 in a Milpa System.

Milpa is an agroecological production system based on the polyculture of plant species, with corn featuring as a central component. Traditionally, the milpa system does not require the application of chemicals, and so pest attacks and poor growth in poor soils can have adverse effects on its production. Therefore, the application of bioinoculants could be a strategy for improving crop growth and health; however, the effect of external inoculant agents on the endemic microbiota associated with corn has not been extensively studied. Here, the objective of this work was to fertilize a maize crop under a milpa agrosystem with the PGPR Pseudomonas fluorescens UM270, evaluating its impact on the diversity of the rhizosphere (rhizobiome) and root endophytic (root endobiome) microbiomes of maize plants. The endobiome of maize roots was evaluated by 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequencing, and the rhizobiome was assessed by metagenomic sequencing upon inoculation with the strain UM270. The results showed that UM270 inoculation of the rhizosphere of P. fluorescens UM270 did not increase alpha diversity in either the monoculture or milpa, but it did alter the endophytic microbiome of maize plant roots by stimulating the presence of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of the genera Burkholderia and Pseudomonas (in a monoculture), whereas, in the milpa system, the PGPR stimulated greater endophytic diversity and the presence of genera such as Burkholderia, Variovorax, and N-fixing rhizobia genera, including Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Bradyrhizobium. No clear association was found between fungal diversity and the presence of strain UM270, but beneficial fungi, such as Rizophagus irregularis and Exophiala pisciphila, were detected in the Milpa system. In addition, network analysis revealed unique interactions with species such as Stenotrophomonas sp., Burkholderia xenovorans, and Sphingobium yanoikuyae, which could potentially play beneficial roles in the plant. Finally, the UM270 strain does not seem to have a strong impact on the microbial diversity of the rhizosphere, but it does have a strong impact on some functions, such as trehalose synthesis, ammonium assimilation, and polyamine metabolism. The inoculation of UM270 biofertilizer in maize plants modifies the rhizo- and endophytic microbiomes with a high potential for stimulating plant growth and health in agroecological crop models.

The milpa agroecosystem: A case study in Puebla, Mexico

In the Totonacapan region of northeastern Puebla, Mexico, two maize production systems are prevalent: the milpa and the maize field (maizal). The milpa system is an emblematic agroecosystem which focuses on traditional food production for self-consumption, utilising crop and land rotation to contribute to its sustainability and coexistence with native ecosystems. Adopted for commercial purposes, the maize field is the result of the government’s modernisation of traditional agriculture. The article examines why the milpa system persists over the maize field in the same cultural and environmental space, exploring the benefits and costs of both systems. The milpa system involves the cultivation of maize along with other crops and perennial woody species. It supports food security, diversifies the diet, and generates income from surplus products. Fruit trees and woody perennials in the milpa strengthen soil fertility, control weeds, provide firewood, and serve as stakes or supports for beans and as retaining walls or windbreaks. The system also incorporates useful plants like nopal and maguey for multiple purposes, including food and medicine. In contrast, the maize field system is characterised by commercial maize production and the use of improved maize varieties. While it generates income, it lacks the diversity and sustainability of the milpa system. Farmers recognise the cultural value of native maize and the environmental benefits of the milpa system but find it challenging to transition back due to soil degradation and labour-intensive practices. The milpa agroforestry system ultimately persists thanks to its provision of traditional foods, economic benefits, and environmental advantages, unlike the maize field system which faces challenges related to monocropping and loss of cultural heritage.

Contrasting patterns of land-cover change between early and late successional forests in a tropical montane cloud forest area managed under the milpa system

Land cover dynamics (LCD) in areas affected by different management types are hard to predict. Such is the case of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) areas in Mexico. The millenary itinerant milpa involves local cyclical deforestation and natural reforestation dynamics with long-lasting fallow periods. Conversely, induced grasslands for cattle, non-traditional maize cultivation with short fallow periods, and sedentary agriculture involve persistent deforestation rates. Also, human density changes could alter LCD. Ignoring such factors may lead to equivocal conclusions. We analyzed LCD using remote sensing analyses with LANDSAT images during two periods (1993–2005, 2005–2014) in a TMCF area in Sierra Norte, Oaxaca, affected by milpas, sedentary agriculture, and grasslands. We divided the study area into six indigenous sub-regions with different human population growth rates (HPG). We identified five land-cover types: mature forests (MF) dominated by TMCF species, early successional pine forests (PF), shrubby fallows (SH), croplands (milpas and more sedentary maize croplands together), and grasslands. We show that: (a) The 1993–2005 period was more variable than the 2005–2014 period, 27 % vs. 21 % of the total area displayed transitions into another class. (b) MF area dominated (277,128 ha), increased from 1993 (64.0 %) to 2014 (67.6 %), and was not statistically associated with HPG. (c) PFs decreased from 27 % in 1993 to 15 % in 2014, and their rate of change was negatively associated with HPG. (d) The total forest area (MF + PF) decreased by 9.3 %. (f) Grasslands, SHs, and croplands fluctuated between periods and sub-regions, but none exceeded 7 % of the total area. (g) Grasslands showed the greatest increase rate, mainly at the expense of forestlands. (h) The grassland and SH increments were positively associated with HPG. The heterogeneity in LCD among periods and sub-regions reveals the relevance of considering temporal and spatial scales within the same region. The persistence of MF and the PF decrease can be ascribed to the disruption of the successional dynamics related to the decline of the traditional milpa enforced by federal and state policies at the beginning of the 21st century, the sedentarization of agriculture, local conservation areas, increases of induced pastures, and human emigration. Although Sierra Norte is an essential reservoir of TMCFs, the decline of the total forest area, particularly secondary forests, is of concern given their roles in resilience and as carbon, culture, and biodiversity reservoirs. Humid mid-elevation areas of Sierra Norte are one of the few examples of mature forest persistence and secondary forest decline.

Nutritional, bioactive components and health properties of the milpa triad system seeds (corn, common bean and pumpkin).

The milpa system is a biocultural polyculture technique. Heritage of Mesoamerican civilizations that offers a wide variety of plants for food purposes. Corn, common beans, and pumpkins are the main crops in this agroecosystem, which are important for people's nutritional and food security. Moreover, milpa system seeds have great potential for preventing and ameliorating noncommunicable diseases, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, among others. This work reviews and analyzes the nutritional and health benefits of milpa system seeds assessed by recent preclinical and clinical trials. Milpa seeds protein quality, vitamins and minerals, and phytochemical composition are also reviewed. Evidence suggests that regular consumption of milpa seeds combination could exert complementing effect to control nutritional deficiencies. Moreover, the combination of phytochemicals and nutritional components of the milpa seed could potentialize their individual health benefits. Milpa system seeds could be considered functional foods to fight nutritional deficiencies and prevent and control noncommunicable diseases.

Review of agronomic research on the milpa, the traditional polyculture system of Mesoamerica

The milpa system is the basis of traditional agriculture in Mesoamerica. It is based on a polyculture of maize (Zea mays L.), bean (Phaseolus spp.) and squash (Cucurbita spp.) and is associated with a great diversity of crops and wild species. The milpa has great cultural and historical importance but can also be highly productive and provide sufficient and healthy diets for smallholder farmers. The milpa system is practiced less and less however, mainly due to socioeconomic changes, but also due to a lack of agronomic knowledge adapted to current conditions. To provide a starting point for new agronomic research, we reviewed the scientific literature to identify the current knowledge on milpa agronomy and determine research priorities to further improve the system. Given the wide diversity of conditions under which milpa is practiced, agronomic research is lacking, but indicates that improvements to the milpa can be made in all aspects of the milpa. 176 research articles on the milpa system were found in databases, of which 61 treated agronomic research. The main agronomic topics described in literature are crop variety, soil fertility management, weed management and productivity. Most research has focused only on maize and studies reporting on the associated crops are scarce. More research on all aspects of the milpa is needed to understand and improve the agronomy of the system under the changing conditions of modern agriculture. Reducing the workload associated with the milpa, as well as soil fertility and weed management can be identified as research priorities.

BIOFERTILIZANTES PARA LA PRODUCCIÓN DE MAÍZ EN EL SISTEMA MILPA EN UN LUVISOL DE YUCATÁN, MÉXICO

<p><strong>Background.</strong> The effect of soil fertility and productivity depletion on the milpa system is, in most cases, compensated with the use of agrochemicals, which can be unsustainable on the long-term. Agroecological practices, such as the use of organic inputs, can contribute to sustainable production. <strong>Objective</strong>: To evaluate the effect of the application of the liquid fermented from native microorganisms (boil NM) and fertilization type (FT), on yield of corn and their components. <strong>Methodology</strong>: The corn var. "Santa Rosa" was established during the spring-summer cycle of 2018 in Xoy, Peto, Yucatan, Mexico. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with an arrangement in split plots; the large plot was the FT with three levels: control (CON), diammonium phosphate (DAP) and sheep manure (SM); the small plot was spraying of boil NM at two levels: 0 mL L<sup>-1</sup> and 100 mL L<sup>-1</sup>. The dependent variables were: grain yield, number of cobs, kernel specific weight, and final height of the plant. The variables were analyzed with procedure PROC GLM statistical software SAS version 2013. <strong>Results</strong>: All variables were statistically similar (P>0.05), except the kernel specific weight in the treatment of NM spraying. Consecuently, the means comparison test was not undertaken. The variable means were: grain yield, 4750 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>; number of cobs 27992 ha<sup>-1</sup>; kernel specific weight, 314.16 mg grano<sup>-1</sup>; and height of the plant, 276.5 cm. The NM spraying increased the kernel weight by 24.5% (P<0.05). <strong>Implications</strong>: Although,the effect of sheep manure on grain yield was similar to that found with chemical fertilizers, it has the advantage that it is available at the farm. In adition, the use of MN increased the weight of kernel. <strong>Conclusion</strong>s: The application of either TF or MN and the interactions between these factors resulted in similar responses on the studied variables, except the effect of MN on the specific weight of the grain. It is suggested to continue the evaluation of the application of MN and TF in the management of the milpa system in several crop cycles to evaluate this organic input in a long term.</p>

Diversity and Potential Function of the Bacterial Rhizobiome Associated to Physalis Ixocarpa Broth. in a Milpa System, in Michoacan, Mexico

Michoacan state has a long history in plant domestication’s. Physalis ixocarpa is a native plant that growth associated to maize crops from this region. Due to the domestication process includes the adaptation to environmental factors, we ask if (1) Does P. ixocarpa has the capacity of association with bacterial communities of the zone where it was domesticated? and (2) Does the rhizobiome of this plant can increase the potential functions in the soil? An experiment was established in a traditional milpa system. Samples of rhizobiome from corn, P. ixocarpa, P. philadelphica, and soil were sequenced using Next Generation Sequencing in the region 16S. The potential function, metabolic pathway reconstruction and participation of each bacteria genus was inferred using iVikodak platform. A total of 34 Phyla and 795 genera were identified. Purine metabolism’s was the principal function, where all rhizobiomes showed similar metabolic pathways. However, the difference among plant species is the participation of the distinct genera in the Purine metabolism. We conclude that the rhizobiome of P. ixocarpa maintains the capacity of bacterial association in the region and shows complementarity for the soil functions. Therefore, their utilization can be helpful in zones where the agricultural practices have degraded microbiological soil conditions.

Biophysical and Biocultural Upheavals in Mesoamerica, a Conservation Perspective: Mountains, Maize-Milpa, and Globalization

Three upheavals shaped southern Mexico to Panama (SMP) biodiversity: 1. The Great American Interchange that allowed migrations between the Neotropical and the Nearctic biogeographic realms; 2. human colonization with the generation of Mesoamerican cultures; and 3. the Spaniards’ arrival and globalization.Tectonic events generated a narrow piece of land with steep topography and high environmental heterogeneity, demanding high levels of local adaptation. Habitat size is usually restricted and reduced by frequent disturbances. Topography imposes few options for individuals forced to displace. Thus, extinction risks should be unusually high. Humans initiated an ongoing defaunation process and introduced the maize and the milpa, an itinerant maize-based slash-and-burn polyculture, which depends on revegetation to re-establish soil fertility. Also, the milpa is a most important pre-Hispanic legacy, a biocultural and landrace reservoir actively affecting landscape configuration, succession, soil development, and the genetic architecture of the species. Unprecedented human epidemics and soil, biodiversity, and culture erosion followed behind the Spanish aftermath and the subsequent globalization. > 63 million people and ≈100 ethnic groups inhabit SMP in 2020, which, with the biota, share the same problems of climate change, disturbance, and acculturation. SMP has been the scenario of severe climate change, fastest and deadliest extinction events (amphibians), a most spectacular exotic-species invasion (Africanized honeybees), and accelerated deforestation, defaunation, and acculturation. Biocultural conflicts between native and non-native people are globalization byproducts and sources of habitat destruction and species decline. Bottom-up initiatives are likely the best option for conservation in indigenous areas, whereas honest (i.e., with truly conservation intentions) top-down initiatives are helpful if the affected people are considered subjects (no objects) of conservation plans. We suggest some unique areas requiring conservation attention and analyzed current conservation initiatives. Not a single initiative is best suited for all conservation needs in SMP. Protection of all successional stages is critical for resilience and revegetation. Conservation of the milpa system (crop fields and subsequent fallows) is an optimal option for minimizing tradeoffs between conservation and people needs and safeguarding traditional culture and local landraces but is limited to areas with indigenous people and may not work for species with large home ranges.

Productive Zoning for the Corn Milpa System in El Zapotal Reserve Area of Tizimin Yucatan, Mexico

Productive Zoning for the Corn Milpa System in El Zapotal Reserve Area of Tizimin Yucatan, Mexico

Transcriptomic Responses of Rhizobium phaseoli to Root Exudates Reflect Its Capacity to Colonize Maize and Common Bean in an Intercropping System.

Corn and common bean have been cultivated together in Mesoamerica for thousands of years in an intercropping system called “milpa,” where the roots are intermingled, favoring the exchange of their microbiota, including symbionts such as rhizobia. In this work, we studied the genomic expression of Rhizobium phaseoli Ch24-10 (by RNA-seq) after a 2-h treatment in the presence of root exudates of maize and bean grown in monoculture and milpa system under hydroponic conditions. In bean exudates, rhizobial genes for nodulation and degradation of aromatic compounds were induced; while in maize, a response of genes for degradation of mucilage and ferulic acid was observed, as well as those for the transport of sugars, dicarboxylic acids and iron. Ch24-10 transcriptomes in milpa resembled those of beans because they both showed high expression of nodulation genes; some genes that were expressed in corn exudates were also induced by the intercropping system, especially those for the degradation of ferulic acid and pectin. Beans grown in milpa system formed nitrogen-fixing nodules similar to monocultured beans; therefore, the presence of maize did not interfere with Rhizobium–bean symbiosis. Genes for the metabolism of sugars and amino acids, flavonoid and phytoalexin tolerance, and a T3SS were expressed in both monocultures and milpa system, which reveals the adaptive capacity of rhizobia to colonize both legumes and cereals. Transcriptional fusions of the putA gene, which participates in proline metabolism, and of a gene encoding a polygalacturonase were used to validate their participation in plant–microbe interactions. We determined the enzymatic activity of carbonic anhydrase whose gene was also overexpressed in response to root exudates.

Visible and hidden economic values of the Maya milpa system in Yucatan, Mexico

ABSTRACT The Maya milpa is a complex system integrated by the maize, beans, and squash polyculture as well as complementary economic activities, such as growing crops and maintaining livestock in family-owned backyard gardens, forestry, and beekeeping. Although there is evidence that the milpa system has existed for over three centuries, its economic importance has been increasingly questioned. This paper addresses questions regarding the economic value of the milpa system as well as the socioeconomic differences between households with and without milpa polyculture. This is done by means of an analysis of 265 surveys gathered from households located in six different communities in the east and southwest of Yucatan, Mexico. The results show that the economic value of the milpa system can vary from US$360.2 (adjusted to 2019 dollars) to US$2234 (adjusted to 2019 dollars) when on-farm consumption, including the feeding of animals and friends and family transfers, is considered. 73.4% of the surveyed households have a cost–benefit ratio of milpa polyculture lower than 1. However, households with and without milpa polyculture system receive similar annual income, showing that milpa polyculture system is as productive as wage labour in this region.

The Environmental-Economic Performance of a Poblano Family Milpa System: An Emergy Evaluation

The family milpa system (FMS) is of great importance to food security and the livelihoods of rural families in Mexico. However, the performance of the system can be compromised due to inappropriate agricultural practices. Therefore, a suitable evaluation strategy is required to identify the best management of resources. Nonetheless, at present, there is no holistic understanding around the nature–society interface that allows us to predict the global behavior of the FMS. Thus, this study assesses the global performance of a Poblano FMS through emergy-based indices. The emergy evaluation was carried out by accounting for the available energy of different qualities used in the system, which were subsequently converted to one kind of energy (solar emjoules). The percentage of renewable emergy (%Ren) used in the system was 72.16%. The emergy self-support ratio (ESR) showed that 74% of the emergy used came from free local resources. The emergy investment ratio (EIR) of 0.36 indicated that the emergy use was efficient. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) was 3.78, which in terms of net emergy (NE), was equivalent to a gain of 1.35 × 1016 sej ha−1 y−1. The environmental loading ratio (ELR) was 0.39, which indicated a low potential environmental impact. The emergy sustainability index (ESI) was high (9.80) compared to other agricultural systems. The performance of the FMS is superior compared to other agricultural systems, including ecologic and recycling systems. However, the use of resources is not optimum and needs to be improved to reach maximum empower.

Strategy to strengthen the traditional milpa family production systems

Objective: To characterize family production units (FPUs) to identify critical points for their activities and propose intervention strategies for them.Design/methodology/approach: The research took place at Yaxcabá municipality, state of Yucatán, Mexico. It is descriptive and its information obtained through 1) a questionnaire in a mobile application compatible with the Android operating system, structured by modules: producer data, FPU characteristics, crops, infrastructure, machinery, equipment, and marketing. The sample size was randomized with replacement, under the maximum variance condition, 2) assessment visits to the farmer’s plots and 3) participatory community diagnosis workshops.Results: The traditional milpa system was oriented to the cultivation of corn, beans and squash of creole origin, for consumption by the FPUs with minimum technologies usage. Through apiculture, producers obtain an economic resource to finance other activities, including those of the milpa. It is, therefore, necessary to strengthen their productivecapacities of this activity with a chain approach, for the diversification of their products and derivatives of their hives that allow their income to increase.Limitations on study/implications: The proposals and intervention strategies may only be applied to the production system in the evaluated area.Findings/conclusions: The strategies for the traditional milpa production should be oriented to food security, biodiversity preservation and the nutritional health of their related population. Apuculture strategies should aim to include producers in the value chain.

Is rural food security primarily associated with smallholder agriculture or with commercial agriculture?: An approach to the case of Mexico using structural equation modeling

CONTEXTThe challenge of food security has become more relevant in global agendas given growing food demands and the persistence of hunger and undernutrition. Due to the needs for addressing food security, there is considerable interest in identifying major drivers, especially in the case of emerging economies with asymmetric agricultural systems involving smallholder and industrial agriculture. OBJECTIVEThe present study proposes a conceptual model to identify how the structure of the agricultural systems in Mexico relates to food availability, accessibility, and utilization. METHODSOur rural food security conceptual model was tested using structural equation modeling at the national and ecoregion scales. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSFood availability and food accessibility showed a stronger influence than food utilization on the modeled food security concept at both scales. Among a total of 81 statistically significant path relationships between agricultural attributes and food security, the presence of smallholder agriculture accounted for 52 (primarily through small farm size, high crop diversity, low agricultural expansion and economic diversification) while commercial agriculture accounted for 29, primarily through market commercialization of the produces and irrigation practice. Our findings suggest that agroecologically efficient cultivation systems, including the milpa system, are widespread, highly productive, and substantially contribute to food security in the Temperate Sierras. Small-scale irrigation support programs for smallholder multi-cropping farms have great potential in drier ecoregions to solve for the current food security challenges in Mexico. To fully value food security assets of the milpa cultivation system, the authors urge the inclusion of more agroecological parameters in the agricultural census. SIGNIFICANCEThe modeling and analytical approaches employed in this study are proposed to identify and geographically differentiate influences of the agricultural systems on food security in the Global South and can adapt any spatial unit, geographic disaggregation, and data type.

Maize intercropping in the milpa system. Diversity, extent and importance for nutritional security in the Western Highlands of Guatemala

We present an assessment of the extent, diversity, and nutritional contribution of the milpa through a quantitative analysis of data from a survey conducted in 989 small scale farm households in the Western Highlands of Guatemala (WHG). The milpa is a traditional agricultural system in which maize is intercropped with other species, such as common beans, faba beans, squashes or potatoes. Our study shows that more than two-thirds of the 1,205 plots recorded were under the milpa system, with a great diversity of crop combinations. As shown with the 357 plots for which specific yields were available, milpa systems present higher total productivity than monocropped maize, expressed as total energy yield of the harvested crops in the respective system, and were also better at providing the recommended daily allowances of fourteen essential nutrients, based on a Potential Nutrient Adequacy (PNA) indicator. Maize-bean-potato, maize-potato, and maize-bean-faba intercrops had the highest PNAs, and monocropped maize, the lowest. These results support the implementation of milpa systems tailored to different agro-ecologies in order to improve nutrition in the WHG and a variety of similar regions.

CARACTERÍSTICAS MORFOLÓGICAS Y DETERMINACIÓN DE MINERALES POR μ-XRF EN FRUTO DE CALABAZA (Cucurbita moschata DUCH)

En la península de Yucatán, México, el sistema milpa involucra una interacción de siembra de dos o tres especies de plantas principales como el maíz (Zea mays), el frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris) y la calabaza (Cucurbita argyrosperma o C. moschata). Sin embargo, en algunas regiones solo se cultiva maíz y C. moschata. Esta calabaza puede mostrar formas, tamaños y colores diversos en una sola plantación, debido a que los productores siembran distintos cultivares de la misma especie. Esta especie se consume fresca, como verdura, y las semillas de la fruta seca se usan en platillos regionales y dulces. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar la morfología y la composición mineral de la calabaza. La hipótesis fue que las variantes de calabaza C. moschata cultivadas presentan variación morfológica, la cual está presente en el contenido de los minerales en semillas y en el fruto. Para este estudio se recolectaron seis variantes de calabaza cultivadas en dos parcelas de Conkal, Yucatán, México. Las evaluaciones incluyeron las características morfológicas de la fruta y la composición mineral en semillas, pericarpio y mesocarpio, mediante análisis μ-XRF. Las variantes de C. moschata presentan morfología diferente (semillas y frutos). El contenido de minerales en semillas y fruta (pericarpio y mesocarpio) presentó diferencias significativas entre las variantes. La variante CA4 presentó contenido alto de P, K, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn y Zn. Variantes se identificaron con características sobresalientes en semillas y característica de los frutos (tamaño, forma, y grosor de la pulpa). El contenido de minerales mostró diferencias entre las variantes de calabazas C. moschata cultivadas en las dos parcelas de Conkal.

COMPORTAMIENTO AGRONÓMICO DEL MAÍZ TROPICAL DOSMESANO NATIVO DE TABASCO, MÉXICO BAJO DIFERENTES DENSIDADES DE SIEMBRA.

El maíz dosmesano (Zea mays L.) es un tipo de maíz nativo utilizado en el sistema milpa de Tabasco, México, apreciado por su calidad de tortilla y por su gran adaptación a las condiciones del trópico mexicano. Es necesario generar recomendaciones de manejo agronómico para mejorar su aprovechamiento. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el potencial productivo del maíz tropical dosmesano nativo de Tabasco, México bajo diferentes densidades de población, generadas con variantes de arreglos topológicos de distancia entre surcos (0.8 y 1.0 m), distancia entre matas (0.20 y 0.25 m) y número de semillas por mata (una y dos); adicionalmente, se incluyeron un testigo regional (TR) a 1.0 m entre surcos, 1.0 m entre matas y cuatro semillas/mata, y otro modificado (TRM) con 0.8 m entre surcos, 1.0 m entre matas, cuatro semillas/mata. Se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar con tres repeticiones, con arreglo factorial de tratamientos. Se registraron las variables días después de la siembra a 50 % de floración masculina (50 % FM) y 50 % de floración femenina (50 % FM), altura de mazorca (AM, cm), altura de planta (AP, cm), relación AP/AM, porcentaje de acame (PA), relación (AP/AM)/PA, porcentaje de plantas jorras (PPJ), porcentaje de prolificidad (PP) y rendimiento de grano (RG, kg ha-1). Se detectó interacción significativa de distancia entre surcos × número de semillas/mata para RG (P ≤ 0.01) y PPJ (P ≤ 0.01). El mayor RG (3869 kg ha-1) se observó en 1.0 m de distancia entre surcos y dos semillas por mata, con 80,000 plantas ha-1, y superó a TR que rindió 2198 kg ha-1. El mayor PPJ, 73 %, se observó en distancia entre surcos de 0.8 m y dos semillas por mata. Hubo triple interacción significativa en AP (P ≤ 0.01) y AM (P ≤ 0.01), ambas con distancia entre surcos de 0.8 m, distancia entre matas de 0.2 m y una semilla por mata, con media de 2.67 y 1.26 m, respectivamente. Existió efecto simple significativo del número de semillas por mata para PP (P ≤ 0.05), con 17 y 4 %, con una y dos semillas por mata, respectivamente. No se detectaron efectos significativos para 50 % FM, 50 % FF, PA, en la relación AP/AM y (AP/AM)/PA (P > 0.05). El RG observado indica alto potencial del cultivo bajo alta densidad poblacional, en comparación con el sistema tradicional de siembra.

Análisis de costos para las tortillas de maíz destinadas al autoconsumo y venta en Yaxcabá, Yucatán

Este artículo estima el costo total de la tortilla de maíz que es producido por campesinos de Kancabdzonot, Yaxcabá, en Yucatán. Para ello, se tomó una muestra de 64 hogares que siembran y cosechan maíz bajo el sistema de milpa conocido como “roza tumba quema” y se calculan los costos explícitos e implícitos incurridos en el año 2014. Se desglosan los costos en producción y transformación del maíz por la extensión de las milpas y se clasifican los hogares de acuerdo al uso de la tortilla, en consumo familiar y venta. Entre los resultados más sobresalientes, es que cuando algunos hogares venden la tortilla de maíz, la actividad de comercialización no genera ganancias económicas; sin embargo, al considerar el subsidio Procampo la situación se revierte. Por otro lado, la tortilla elaborada de maíz para consumo familiar no es rentable con la tortilla (bien sustituto) ofrecido en el mercado local debido al desconocimiento del costo de producción.