Title: The indigenous knowledge of crop diversity and evolution.
Abstract:This chapter addresses indigenous practices of crop selection, gene-pool maintenance and seed exchange. It focuses on the Andes and Mesoamerica, two regions of crop domestication (of potatoes and maiz...This chapter addresses indigenous practices of crop selection, gene-pool maintenance and seed exchange. It focuses on the Andes and Mesoamerica, two regions of crop domestication (of potatoes and maize, respectively) where the wild ancestors of these crops occur together with the largest diversity of cultivars. It is argued that understanding farmers' knowledge of plant diversity furthers insights into crop breeding and evolution. The cultural and nutritional salience of these plants gives clues to crop evolution, as do local knowledge of variations in crop species according to size, shape, colour, taste and so on, and cultivation practices that ensure conservation of a wide germplasm pool.Read More
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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