243
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

On-farm conservation in Phaseolus lunatus L: an alternative for agricultural biodiversity

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon show all
Pages 392-409 | Published online: 21 Dec 2021
 

ABSTRACT

On-farm conservation characterized by cultivation by smallholder farmers in agricultural and quilombola (formed by descendants of Afro-Brazilian slaves) communities is a tool for the maintenance of seeds and genetic diversity. Smallholder farmers who grow local varieties in diversity centers and communities contribute to supporting the capacity of agricultural and food systems to adapt to adverse conditions. Widely cultivated in the Northeast region of Brazil, lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L), despite having relative economic and social importance, is little exploited in terms of conservation aspects. Based on a process of participatory interview, this article documents the knowledge of smallholder farmers associated with local varieties of this species, as well as the practices and strategies used for on-farm conservation in three producing areas of northeastern Brazil. The results revealed that farmers have a low level of education; the main factor for the loss of traditional knowledge is the disinterest of younger people in agriculture. The study highlights the importance of integrating scientific knowledge with traditional knowledge to develop sustainable agroecosystems, in which on-farm conservation is an alternative to diversify agriculture, but which requires government and private support to stimulate and enhance agricultural activities and the interaction among smallholder farmers.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for the master’s scholarship granted to the first author

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 61.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 297.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.