Background:

Ethnobotanical work makes it possible to recognize and take advantage of plants that are potentially important to communities. In the Central region of Guerrero, Mexican plum is a highly appreciated fruit tree due to its versatility as a crop and its commercial potential; However, economic ethnobotanical studies on this species are scarce in the state.

Questions:

Which morphotype of Mexican plums exist in the study area and which are the most important for its inhabitants? What are the uses and agronomic management of Mexican plum? What are the cultivation and economics characteristics of Mexican plum in the region?

Studied species / data description /Mathematical model:

Spondias purpurea L.

Study site and dates:

3 localities of Juan R. Escudero, Guerrero, México; 2022 and 2023.

Methods:

Information was collected through 40 semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the information was carried out using descriptive statistics and ethnobotanical indices.

Results:

Nine morphotypes of Mexican plums were registered, two of them ('Roja Dulce' and 'Roja Grande'), stood out for being the most preferred, the most cultivated and commercialized. The Mexican plum is cultivated preferentially in relation to other fruit crops due to its low water needs, the low economic investment and the short time required to produce fruits.

Conclusions:

The main use of the Mexican plum is as a foodstuff, there is a very marked preference for two of the nine morphotypes that are grown in the region, their commercialization allows producers to obtain important economic income.

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