Ethnoagroforestry traditional systems

The agroforestry, according to ^{Farrell and Altieri (1997)}, "is the generic name used to describe a system using the ancient land and widely practiced, in which the trees are combined spatial and / or temporarily with animals and agricultural crops". ^{Krishnamurthy and Ávila (1999)} define it as the science that studies the systems, agroforestry practices, interactions and emergent properties of the components of these land forms; that interact with humans, orders management and makes a profit, turning ethnoagroforestry systems, history and own culture, related to man or ethno prefix that has been taken with relative ease to refer to the use of traditional knowledge as source of knowledge, forming the calls ethnosciences (^{Perdomo, 2013}).

The ethnoagroforestry is a scientific area recently created with the study of traditional agroforestry systems, created, developed and managed by indigenous and peasant communities and “Rancherías” (^{Moreno-Calles et al., 2014}). The ethnoagronomy is that science gathers the views and aspirations of producers and aligned in the construction of alternatives to rural development; and it is defined as the ethnoscience that deals with the study of knowledge that indigenous and mestizo peasants put into practice during the process of exploitation of natural resources, through agriculture, livestock, forestry and wildlife for the satisfactory anthropocentric necessary for their survival, social reproduction and development (^{Cruz et al., 2015}).

Traditional systems ethnoagroforestry, such as technological forms that interact between man, land, crops and certain species of pets, are important because they are integrated multiple-use strategies, provide various benefits to humans at local, regional and global; endemic and preserve cultural and integrate important species, recreating the world views, knowledge, practices and rules of traditional use (Moreno- Calles, Toledo and Casas, 2013) and have minimal or no use of inputs from modern agriculture.

Over time these systems have suffered socio-economic and environmental changes induced by changes in the rural landscape, which tends to be increasingly urban within communities, because of the need for land distribution, that being inherited children, fractionate and tend to change their use; but especially by the totalitarian model of rationality presiding modern science, which denies the rational character to all forms of knowledge not guidelines for its epistemological principles and methodological rules; situation that causes loss and transformation of generational worldview and knowledge of common, practical or common sense, product neat experience (^{Santos, 2009}); that due to the lack of interest in conservation, end in abandonment, disappearance and estrangement from nature. Before it is not possible to lose in such a short time something that has taken hundreds of years to build selectively in the biological and productive.

The importance of these systems is that: 1) are points of conservation of species and germplasm; 2) are centers of knowledge generation that have rules of use and adherence to various socio-ecological factors; 3) are spaces to support the economy and reducing hunger and poverty; 4) exploitation allows full use of marginal lands, which if not made, would remain barren and unproductive, and local surplus labor and family labor; 5) maintain a continuity of prehispanic elements with modern, whose study is feasible technological, ecological, cultural and comparisons (^{Palerm, 1997}; Moreno- Calles et al., 2013); and 6) maintains a balance between nature and the needs and rights of human beings with adherence to the principle of good living, whose vision assumes other knowledge and practices, questioning the Western concept of wellness and colonialist of power, erosion agricultural and wild biodiversity, and over-exploitation of nature; considered as "natural capital" and not as equitable component life and outside development the industrialized countries (^{Acosta, 2010}).

Characterization ekuaro

The ekuaro is a physiographic conformation of the land that can be flat or have a steep slope. It is characterized by being part of the courtyard of the house, as shown by his translation of P'urhépecha or Tarascan to Spanish ekuarhu [ekuaɹu], equivalent to "yard" (^{Lathrop, 2007}), which to contextualize it can be understood as "the place which is largely "that is the whole. It is an extension of the Purepecha room, where the granary, raising cattle and sheep and practice crop association of different strata around the house, whose delimitation is given through vegetation and the arrangement of stones. It is rich in traditional knowledge, as it is largely related to daily life, nature and the management of it is inside. For example, ^{Barrera-Bassols (2003)} describes, temporarily, cultural activities undertaken to 17 species of laminated edible plants located in a ekuaro in Pichátaro, Michoacán, where includes arvensis, the cornfields and fruit.

Ekuaro on Several assertions, all related to its location, climate, physiography, technology, culture and intensity of land use. ^{Sánchez (2002}); ^{Moreno-Calles et al. (2013)} mention that the ekuaro is an orchard located near or next to the house, with many species of perennials and annuals (corn, beans, vegetables, fruit plants and other intensively cultivated plants) associated with wild animals and sometimes, managed mainly women and children; and it is found in temperate climates and warm humid Michoacán.

For ^{Barrera-Bassols (2003)} the ekuaro is a "homegarden system", a sophisticated agro-silvocultural system, intensive exploitation, which includes trees, shrubs, herbaceous; whose architecture resembles forests and works as an ecological system; are small experimental plots, close to half a hectare, where you can find more than 50 domesticated plants, semi-domesticated, tolerated and even wild; used for food, medicinal, aromatic and religious purposes. In it there is no use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides and the land is cultivated and worked mainly with the hoe.

^{Santana (1986)} mentions that the "ecuaro" is always conceived as a space adjacent to housing, which is primarily the domain of animals (major and minor), a sort of outdoor stall; which it has evolved from "frustrated" way to the former site of Spanish descent, due to the adoption of some plant species, expressions and crop planters. On the solar ^{Aguilar and Prieto (2002)} say that "the family plot, bounded by a stone fence, consists of the barn that through a porch opens onto the courtyard, where people do most of their activities , has garden and sometimes with poultry. " Definitions showing him as a multifunctional space, productive, recreational, living and preservation food.

The General Lázaro Cárdenas reminds the "ecuaro" as a breeding ground sloped, located on the slopes of the hill, his grandfather rented to plant corn, beans and squash with a hoe. The plow was not used so rocky terrain, which became very hard work it (^{Cárdenas del Río, 2003}).

As you can see, there are several types of ekuaro and each has particular characteristics, which adds that it is a space of family life and social relations; whose use persists in virtually all of the region occupied by the Tarasco Purépecha Empire or the pre-hispanic world, which covered more than 75 000 km2 in the highlands of west-central Mexico region. Who because of his military-expansionist behavior they attempted to occupy the territory of the Aztecs, who responded penetrating to the territorial heart of the Tarascan up to Charo where possible, or knew the system ekuaro in the hills and houses or brought the huamil and they were practical implemented. Which would be very interesting elucidating from the point ethnohistoric which system came first. For example in Cortazar, Guanajuato, older residents recognize the presence of ekuaro in the hillsides where they planted corn and beans, mainly.

Ekuaro and technology

Although there is information on the type of land and where the ekuaro is grown, the type of tenure or category to which he belonged in the Tarascan Empire is unknown; i.e. if the patrimonial lands of the royal dynasty (uacúsecha), to the land allocated to the local lords or the land of ordinary people. In colonial times were marginal pieces of land were allocated to farmers for their own exploitation. Today they can be found in any kind of possession.

The tools used by the P'urhépechas to cultivate their ekuaros were lytic type and some metal. This being important because they were the ones who were more advanced than the other Mesoamerican peoples, who worked gold and silver mainly metallurgical industry. The P'urhépecha worked particularly copper and bronze alloy. With him they manufactured pliers, awls, axes, hoes and other tools to work the land (^{Uribe, 1996}; ^{Roskamp, 2003}).

If the ekuaro speak, would tell us stories of survival and economy. Begin with the attacks that have suffered from the conquest, technological changes of modern agriculture and urban growth; which they have been made in an effort to introduce a "more productive technological development" or disappear him slowly. This situation can produce counterproductive effects, it is known that the aim of increasing production and productivity is to create economic, social and political power (^{Urquidi, 1981}); more economic dependence and pollution due to intensive use of inputs and lack of technological self- determination with ability to decide the technological direction of a country, or the use of human and material resources to achieve indict technology to certain objectives (^{Urquidi, 1981}). When these are not met, the changes initiated usually modify traditional functional structures and put in situation to its users, by new techniques and products, who often put resistance to their dissemination and appropriation.

The ekuaro and corn

Michoacan as part of the center of origin of maize domestication and migration route of ethnic groups, has favored the existence of a wide variety of Zea mays L. and their wild relatives. Within this species and varieties such as corn Mushito ekuaro they are. Since imperial times P'urhépecha in sowings different varieties of corn were planted in the cornfield (tarheta) which are mentioned in the relations of Michoacán, written by Fray Jerónimo de Alcalá mid-sixteenth century; and ^{Gilberti (1901)}, who describe the presence of eight varieties whose classification is based on the consistency and color of grain: dry in ears, white, black, yellow, red, painted colors, tawny, and corn it is done in fifty days. Varieties that have been modified over time by the traditional and modern technology, and the presence of the green revolution in the state. ^{Moreno-Calles et al. (2013)}; ^{Alarcón-Chaires (2009)} also mention that in the ekuaro landraces red, blue cultured and solar or ecuaro purple (uarhuti), in association with beans (kókok). Which they are at risk of disappearing.

Proposal qualifying the ekuaros

According to his description, the ekuaro may be a production system located within the forest combined with the use of a variety of cultivated wild plants and animals. Found on the hill and worked "hand". Or located within the home and garden, yard or other. The reality is that the ekuaro is a mega-diverse multifunctional system, which covers all the expectations of the authors and producers who can be classified according to its location and technology into four types.

Ekuaro plot

a) Type courtyard, plot, orchards or garden

Part of the house, like yard, backyard or garden. Its size is usually small. Many of them have Mesoamerican origin, which, in addition to meeting immediate food and economic needs of their owners, are traditional ethnoagroforestry systems, whose origin is prior to the arrival of Europeans in the sixteenth century; that a clash occurred when confronted key ecosystems between the old and the new world (^{Crosby, 2013}). Currently he is serving as repositories of local biodiversity, by the existence of a dynamic mix of useful native species. The main function of this ekuaro is to provide a basic source of food and marketable products for the family, which is extremely important given the socioeconomic conditions prevailing today in Mexico and Mesoamerica; because inside there is a mixture of native and exotic, perennial and annual species, distributed in different strata that meet the needs of farmers (^{Montagnini and Metzel, 2015}; ^{Cahuich-Campos et al., 2014}).

These spaces, depending on where they are and dwell time, acquire particular names. For example, ^{Guzmán (2005)} mentions that in the state of Morelos, the great people they talk to the courtyard called him "callmil" and clarifies that this assignment refers more to growing vegetables on a bed made with soil and manure decomposed and litter, which is no longer practiced; and "calmill" (vegetables in solar), which is a small batch or lot where several varieties of seeds and corn, squash, beans, peppers and flowers are planted. Similarly they are called the small gardens that are located next to the house of the tenants (^{Palerm, 1997}), and the small ekuaro located on the side of the house, where several vegetation strata for particular uses are grown.

b) Continuously ekuaro associated livestock agroforestry

It is a space of about one hectare, surrounded by a perimeter stone wall, inside which is located the house, the yard or stable livestock and poultry houses. At some points, circling, dividing or off the field, cultivated are plants nopal and maguey pulque. Stuck on stone fences timber, fruit and shade trees are located. Inside, surrounding the house and yard, is the ekuaro as arable land where corn, beans and bean associated with, which works with the team or trunk, as has been without stones is planted.

The corn crop is planted within it is to eat corn sweet and tender chew the cornstalks, whose varieties are usually: white, yellow, color, purple and red. The first is used to make tortillas and others to prepare some sweets and festive foods such as cornmeal (powdered toasted corn, sweetened with brown sugar and flavored with cinnamon, which can be eaten alone or gruel) and "tempoduro" (corn tan and confit with brown sugar), "uchepos" (corn tamales or sweet corn with brown sugar and carbonate) and corundas (tamale ash), michoacanos tamales whose production corn cooked with ash mesquite, butter and salt, and wrapped in green corn leaves. The ears of corn are cooked alone or accompanied with pumpkin and brown sugar. This ekuaro is intensive exploitation.

Ekuaros on marginal lands or hills

a) Type ekuaro huamil

^{Palerm (1997)} mentions that the huamil (coa-cornfields: cornfield carved with sharp stick) is a recent introduction and spread in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, but very old in Michoacán. It mentions the following: involves working to some uncultivated land, barren and marginal time; rangelands located in the old hacienda in the steep, rocky slopes of hills, and the rocky land and tepetate. Inaccessible not only to modern traction machines but also the plow, whose production of many peasant families gather not achieve the essential elements to meet their basic subsistence places. The huamil system was borrowed from the Tarascan Indian neighbors who practice it from time immemorial on the mountainous and dificult michoacano landscape, where it is known under the name tarasco ecuaro.

In the Morelia-Queréndaro valley, this traditional farming system is also called "by hand" because of the way to work it, as they are very rocky terrain, the cultivation method according to (^{Franco-Gaona et al. (2012)}, begins with "clean and arrangement of stones in lines perpendicular to the slope when the terrain permits or making holes in the stony ground to place the seed, perform work clean, harvesting and collection of organic waste, if possible removal, otherwise stover was left to enrich the soil ". The work done in this system is measured in”tasks". At ask equivalent to planting corn, beans and squash in a space of 18 for 18 holes; i.e. excavate soil or make a hole with the spade and place three or four seeds of corn, beans and squash interleaving. Of this system he picked up the comment that "we continue sowing for pleasure to hoe, although I have irrigated land and work with the machine."

b) Ekuaro intensive cultivation of land

It is commonly located on marginal land temporarily, larger than that used for huamil and mostly modernized, where the corn is grown using the yoke or trunk and work your way is familial. In its periphery stone fences dividing shade trees and timber, "nopales the hill" a kind of edible Opuntia, and weedy plants, where wood and other products for household consumption and trade are observed it is extracted. Usually they are grown continuously year or time. Usually this is associated ekuaro the house via cattle.

^{Linck (1982} and 1987) mentions that the fact of having an own plot with its traditional home, his small garden, its ecuaro or corral, with their economic implications, reinforces the membership of each domestic group to the community. Having this space favors labor activity and multiplies, because it is a space of a family, served outside everyday activities related to agriculture, which main activity is carried out or away from the house, as technology traditional it has not disappeared, because the integration of agriculture in the national economy is still too recent, so that their fingerprints are deleted entirely.