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The dynamics of crop infraspecific diversity: A conceptual framework at the farmer level 1

La Dinámica de la Diversidad Infraespecífica: Un Marco Conceptual a Nivel del Agricultor

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Abstract

There is an increasing concern over the loss of germplasm diversity in areas of crop domestication. Nevertheless in these areas many farmers continue to maintain a pool of varieties, many of them landraces, despite the fact that they have also incorporated improved varieties, and that some landraces have been eliminated. This paper provides a framework for analyzing the decision of a farmer to maintain, incorporate or discard a variety from his/her repertoire of varieties of one crop. It is based on an analysis of the roles that crop infraspecific diversity can play in a farmer’s well-being, how these roles change, the limits to these changes, and some predictions and suggestions derived from this framework.

Resumen

Existe una gran preocupación por la pérdida de diversidad de germoplasma en las áreas de domesticatión de los cultivos. Sin embargo muchos agricultures en estas áreas continúan sembrando y mantiendo un acervo de distintas variedades, muchas de ellas criollas, aúm cuando han incorporado a éste variedades mejoradas, y a pesar de que algunas variedades criollas ya no se utilizan. Este articulo presenta un marco de referenda para analizar la decisión por parte de un agricultor de mantener, incorporar o eliminar una variedad del acervo que de éstas se conserva. Se basa en un andlisis de los papeles que la diversidad infraespecffica puede jugar en el bienestar de un agricultor, cómo estos papeles cambian, así como los límites a estos cambios. También presenta algunas predicciones y sugerencias derivadas de este marco de referenda.

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  1. Mauricio R. Bellon

    Present address: IRRI, P. O. Box 933, 1099, Manila, Philippines

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  1. Centro de Ecología, Universidad National Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-275, 04510, México D.F., México

    Mauricio R. Bellon

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Bellon, M.R. The dynamics of crop infraspecific diversity: A conceptual framework at the farmer level 1. Econ Bot 50, 26–39 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02862110

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