Abstract

CASTILLO-NONATO, Jesús  and  CHAVEZ-MEJIA, Cristina. Peasant characterization of management and use of maize diversity in San Felipe del Progreso, Estado de México. agric. soc. desarro [online]. 2013, vol.10, n.1, pp.26-38. ISSN 1870-5472.

Maize diversity in México is part of the culture and identity of Mexicans and constitutes an important element in the national diet. The diversity of agricultural systems is important for food production based on local knowledge, and it integrates the heritage of Mexican peasants, who day by day conserve genetic resources through their cultivation. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the peasant management of local corns cultivated under irrigation and rainfed conditions, in two ejidos with Mazahua population in San Felipe del Progreso, Estado de México. The study was of ethnographic nature, based on interviews with 200 peasants during 2011. It was found that peasants cultivate local maize varieties that they have improved empirically: among them, there are those with white grains (long cycle), yellow, spotted and black (intermediate cycle), and red and pink (short cycle), which belong to the conic group. Cultivation of local corns is related with the availability of water for irrigation, the rainfed regime, the type of soil and the uses of different types of maize.

Keywords : peasants; agricultural systems; irrigation and rainfed maize; soil.

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