Traditional production and diversity of native tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): a study case in Tehuantepec-Juchitán, México.

Abstract

For farmers of scarce financial resources, native varieties adapted to specific micro-niches are the primary resource available to maintain production and guarantee family sustenance. This study describes the traditional production system and commercialization in the local market of native tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in the region of Tehuantepec-Juchitán, Oaxaca, México. Interviews were performed with 45 producers from seven Zapotec indigenous communities with tomato crops. Results show that most of the farmers interviewed were older than 50 years; that they cultivate seven varieties of tomato and that more than 60 % of them do not apply fertilizers. The correspondence analysis shows that the variables with highest descriptive value for the production system were the cultivation surface (0.1 to 0.5 ha), the morphotype of the tomato sown, the age of farmers, and the amount of seed used. Five production subsystems were determined, directed at the local markets. In this study case, more than 80 % of the production is destined to regional markets, which will promote the in situ preservation of the local tomato gene pool.