CHARACTERIZATION OF THE AGROECOSYSTEM WITH NATIVE MAIZE IN TEZONAPA, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Abstract

Background: Agroecosystems (AE) have different technological, productive, economic and socio-cultural characteristics; therefore, it is important to characterize them to offer information for the design of focused agricultural policies, and that promote the development of the region. Objective: Characterize the AE with native maize in Tezonapa, Veracruz, based on socio-cultural, technical-productive, economic and environmental factors. Methodology: The study was carried out using the survey technique by the non-probabilistic snowball method. Ninety-seven native maize producers were surveyed in 29 Tezonapa communities in 2020. The questionnaire was semi-structured with 53 questions in five sections, including producer data, as well as socio-cultural, technical-productive, environmental and economic. The data obtained from the questionnaires were captured in the Microsoft Office Excel® 2019 computer program, subsequently, a principal component analysis (PCA), descriptive statistics and a dendrogram were executed. For the typology of maize production systems, the 53 original variables were used, generating a dendrogram. Results: Two types of AE were found: Traditional (T) and Traditional Subsistence (TS) with differentiated technical-productive, socio-cultural, economic and environmental characteristics. According to the PCA, the most significant variables in the description of the AEs were two sociodemographic, five technical-productive, and three economic. Implications: The producers of Tezonapa must organize themselves for the management of innovations that impact the yield of native maize crop, but taking into account their knowledge about sustainable agricultural practices. Conclusions: The AEs studied, although they present technical-productive and economic limitations, also have benefits when providing food, generating and exchanging empirical knowledge, which has allowed the conservation of native maize, and said valuable knowledge must be rescued and promoted.

Keywords

• sistema de producción de maíz
• zea mays l.
• pequeños productores.