Skip to main content
Log in

Just small potatoes (and ulluco)? The use of seed-size variation in “native commercialized” agriculture and agrobiodiversity conservation among Peruvian farmers

  • Published:
Agriculture and Human Values Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Farmers of the Peruvian Andesmake use of seed-size variation as a source offlexibility in the production of ``nativecommercial'' farmer varieties of Andeanpotatoes and ulluco. In a case study of easternCuzco, the use of varied sizes of seed tubers isfound to underpin versatile farm strategiessuited to partial commercialization (combinedwith on-farm consumption and the next season'sseed). Use of seed-size variation also providesadaptation to diverse soil-moistureenvironments. The importance and widespread useof seed-size variation among farmers isdemonstrated in the emphasis and consistency oflinguistic expressions about this trait. Smalland small-medium seed is typically sown in thecommunity's ``Hill'' unit of sub-humid,upper-elevation agriculture. Seed tubers ofmedium-size and larger are needed fordrought-stressed locales in lower-elevationlandscape units. Farm-level preferences for theseed-size of tubers also suggest potentialrelations to resource endowments of farmhouseholds and gender-related management,although these tendencies were notstatistically significant in the study. Anintra-varietal, landscape-environmentalperspective on seed-size management, whichincludes an emphasis on within-fieldversatility, helps to strengthen the researchsupport of local seed production in policiesand programs aiming for in situagrobiodiversity conservation, marketingcapacity, and food security.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agrawal, A. and C. C. Gibson (1999). “Enchantment and disenchantment: The role of community in natural resource conservation.” World Development 27(4): 629–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alcorn, J. B. (1989). “Process as resource: The traditional agricultural ideology of Bora and Huastec resource management and its implications for research.” Advances in Economic Botany 7: 63–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, E. J. and D. C. E. Wurr (1992). “Plant density.” In P. M. Harris (ed.), The Potato Crop: The Scientific Basis for Improvement, 2nd edition (pp. 292–333). New York: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, E. J., P. J. O'Brien, and D. Firman (1992). “Seed tuber production and management.” In P. M. Harris (ed.), The Potato Crop: The Scientific Basis for Improvement, 2nd edition (pp. 247–291). New York: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almekinders, C. and N. Louwaars (1999). Farmers' Seed Production: New Approaches and Practices. London: Intermediate Technology Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almekinders, C., N. P. Louwaars, and G. H. de Bruijn (1994). “Local seed systems and their importance for an improved seed supply in developing countries.” Euphytica 78: 207–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altieri, M. A. (1995). Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture, 2nd edition. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnell, N. W. (1999). “Climate change and global water resources.” Global Environmental Change 9: 31–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashby, J. A. and L. Sperling (1995). “Institutionalizing participatory, client-driven research and technology development in agriculture.” Development and Change 16(4): 753–770.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashby, J. A., C. A. Quiros, and T. M. Rivers (1989). “Farmer participation in technology development: work with crop varieties.” In R. Chambers, A. Pacey, and L. A. Thrupp (eds.), Farmer First: Farmer Innovation and Agricultural Research (pp. 115–132). London: IT Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauman, D. (1987). “El programa de semilla del Nor Yauyos.” In E. Malpartida and H. Poupon (eds.), Sistemas agrarios en el Perú (pp. 147–153). Lima, Peru: UNALM and ORSTOM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bebbington, A. (2001). “Globalized Andes? Livelihoods, landscapes, and development.” Ecumene 8(4): 414–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, J. W. (1994). “Facts, fantasies, and failures of farmer participatory research.” Agriculture and Human Values 11: 140–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, J.W. and D. Vasques (1998). The Seed Potato System in Bolivia: Organisational Growth and Missing Links. London: ODI Agricultural Research and Extension.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, J. W., R. Tripp, and R. Delgado de la Flor (2001). “Liberalization of Peru's formal seed sector.” Agriculture and Human Values 18: 319–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlin, B. (1992). Ethnobiological Classification: Principles of Categorization of Plants and Animals in Traditional Societies. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beyersdorff, M. (1984). Léxico agropecuario quechua. Cuzco, Peru: CBC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bianco, M. and C. Sachs (1998). “Growing oca, ulluco, and mashua in the Andes: Socioeconomic differences in cropping practices.” Agriculture and Human Values 15: 267–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blumler, M. A. (1998). “Evolution of caryopsis gigantism and agricultural origins.” In Research in Contemporary and Applied Geography: A Discussion Series 22 (1-2) (pp. 1–46). New York: Binghamton University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw, J. E. and G. R. Mackay (eds.) (1994). Potato Genetics. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brookfield, H. (2001). Exploring Agrodiversity. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brookfield, H. and C. Padoch (1994). “Appreciating agrodiversity: A look at the dynamism and diversity of indigenous farming practices.” Environment 36: 7–11, 37-45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brookfield, H. and M. Stocking (1999). “Agrodiversity: Definition, description, and design.” Global Environmental Change 9: 77–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, S. B. (1991). “A farmer-based approach to conserving crop germplasm.” Economic Botany 39: 310–325.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, S. B. (1992). “Ethnoecology, biodiversity, and modernization in Andean potato agriculture.” Journal of Ethnobiology 12(2): 161–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, S. B. (1995). “In situ conservation of landraces in centers of crop diversity.” Crop Science 35: 346–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, S. B., J. E. Taylor, and M. Bellon (1992). “Technology adoption and biological diversity in Andean potato agriculture.” Journal of Development Economics 39: 365–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler Flora, C., F. Larrea, M. Ordoñez, S. Chancay, S. Baez, and F. Guerrero (2001). “Production strategy typology for sustainable agriculture and natural resource management.” In R. E. Rhoades (ed.), Bridging Human and Ecological Landscapes: Participatory Research and Sustainable Development in an Andean Agricultural Frontier (pp. 193–214). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caligari, P. D. S. (1992). “Breeding new varieties.” In P. M. Harris (ed.), The Potato Crop: The Scientific Basis for Improvement, 2nd edition (pp. 334–372). New York: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carney, J. (1991). “Indigenous soil and water management in Senegambian rice farming systems.” Agriculture and Human Values 8: 37–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • CIP (Centro Internacional de la Papa) (1984). Potatoes for the Developing World: A Collaborative Experience. Lima, Peru: CIP.

    Google Scholar 

  • CIP (Centro Internacional de la Papa) (1997). Diversidad de papas nativas en los Andes. Lima, Peru: CIP.

    Google Scholar 

  • CIP (Centro Internacional de la Papa)/PNUMA (Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente) (2000). Efectividad de las estrategias de conservación in situ y el conocimiento campesino en el manejo y uso de la biodiversidad. Lima, Peru: CIP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, D. A. (2001). “Is plant breeding science objective truth or social construction? The case of yield stability.” Agriculture and Human Values 18: 251–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, D. A. and D. Soleri (2002). Collaborative Plant Breeding Integrating Farmer and Scientist Knowledge and Practice. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, D. A., D. Soleri, and S. E. Smith (1994). “Do folk crop varieties have a role in sustainable agriculture?” BioScience 44: 740–751.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, J. (1988). Unseasonal Migrations: The Effects of Rural Labor Scarcity in Peru. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croll, E. and D. Parkin (1992). Brush Base: Forest Farm: Culture, Environment, and Development. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cusihuamán, Antonio (2001). Diccionario quechua, Cuzco-Collao, 2nd edition. Cuzco, Peru: CBC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damania, A. B., L. Pecetti, C. O. Qualset, and B. O. Humeid (1996). “Diversity and geographic distribution of adaptive traits in Triticum turgidum L. (durum) wheat landraces from Turkey.” Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 43(5): 409–422.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deere, C. D. (1990). Households and class relations: Peasants and landlords in Northern Peru. Berkeley / Los Angeles: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deere, C. D. and M. León (1998). “Gender, land, and water: From reform to counter-reform in Latin America.” Agriculture and Human Values 15: 375–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Douches, D. S., D.Maas, K. Jastrzebsi, and R. W. Chase (1996). “Assessment of potato breeding progress in the USA over the last century.” Crop Science 36: 1544–1552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dueñas, A., R. Mendivil, G. Lobaton, and A. Loaiza (1992). “Campesinos y papas: A propósito de la variabilidad y erosión genética en comunidades campesinas del Cusco.” In C. I. De Gregori, J. Escobar, and B. Martitorena (eds.), Perú: el problema agrario en debate, SEPIA IV (pp. 287–309). Lima, Peru: Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Agraria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis-Jones, J. and T. Moore (1999). “Livelihood strategies and assets of small farmers in the evaluation of soil and water management practices in the temperate inter-Andean valleys of Bolivia.” Mountain Research and Development 19(3): 221–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Escobal, J. (2001). “The determinants of nonfarm income diversification in rural Peru."World Development 29(3): 497–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eyzaguirre, P. and M. Iwanaga (1996). Participatory Plant Breeding. Rome: IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fano, H. (1999). La papa en el Perú. Lima, Peru: Ministerio de Agricultura.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fano, H. and M. Benavides (1992). Los cultivos andinos en perspectiva: producción y utilización en el Cusco. Lima, Peru: CIP and Cusco: CERES.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernandez, M., P. Shrestha, and P. Eyzaguirre (2000). “Integrating gender analysis for participatory genetic resource management: Technical relevance, equity, and impact.” In E. Friis-Hansen and B. Sthapit (eds.), Participatory Approaches to the Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources (pp. 44–53). Rome: IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friis-Hansen, E. and B. Sthapit (2000). Participatory Approaches to the Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources. Rome: IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gelles, P. H. (1999). Water and Power in Highland Peru: The Cultural Politics of Irrigation and Development. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gisbert, M. E., M. Painter, and M. Quitón (1994). “Gender issues associated with labor migration and dependence on offfarm income in rural Bolivia.” Human Organization 53(2): 110–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gliessman, S. R. (2001). Agroecosystem Sustainability: Developing Practical Strategies. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzáles, T. A. (2000). “The cultures of the seed in the Peruvian Andes.” In S. B. Brush (ed.), Genes in the Field: Onfarm conservation of crop diversity (pp. 193–216). Rome: IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gudeman, S. and A. Rivera. 1990. Conversations in Colombia: The Domestic Economy in Life and Text. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  • Guillet, D. W. (1992) Covering Ground: Communal Water Management and the State in the Peruvian Highlands. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, S. (1998). The Two-Headed Household: Gender and Rural Development in the Ecuadorian Andes. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, P. M. (ed.) (1992). The Potato Crop: The Scientific Basis for Improvement. London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horton, D. (1987). Potatoes: Production, Marketing, and Programs for Developing Countries. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, H. W. (1970). Genetics of the Potato, Solanum tuberosum. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huamán, Z. (2000). Semilleros comunales de papas nativas del Perú. Revista AgroNoticias (Lima) 251: 28–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubbell, J. M. and J. B. Sisson (1998). “Advanced tensiometer for shallow or deep soil water potential measurements.” Soil Science 163(4): 271–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iriarte, V., F. Terrazas, and G. Aguirre (1998). Memoria: Primer encuentro taller sobre el mantenimiento de la diversidad de tubérculos andinos en sus zonas de origen. Cochabamba, Bolivia: Poligraf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iriarte, V., L. Lazarte, J. Franco, D. Fernandez, and P. Eyzaguirre (2000). “The role of gender in the conservation, location, and management of genetic diversity in potatoes, tarwi, and maize in Pocoata, Bolivia.” In E. Friis-Hansen and B. Sthapit (eds.), Participatory Approaches to the Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources (pp. 131–139). Rome: IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jellis, G. J. and D. E. Richardson (eds.) (1987). The Production of New Potato Varieties: Technological Advances. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, G. (1988). “The effects of variation in mean temperature and frost risk.” In M. L. Parry, T. R. Carter, and N. T. Konjin (eds.), The Impact of Climatic Variation on Agriculture. Volume 2. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Louwes, K. M. and A. E. F. Neele (1987). “Influence of weight of seed tubers on selection of first year clones: Preliminary results.” In G. J. Jellis and D. E. Richardson (eds.), The Production of New Potato Varieties: Technological Advances (pp. 78–80). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mannheim, B. (1991). The Language of the Inka since the European Invasion. Austin: University of Texas Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, E. (1994). “Recursos naturales, medio ambiente, tecnología, y desarrollo.” In O. Dancourt, E. Mayer, and C. Monge (eds.), Perú: el problema agrario en debate, SEPIA V. Lima, Peru: SEPIA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, E. (2002). The Articulated Peasant: Household Economies in the Andes. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, E. and M. Glave (1999). “Alguito para ganar (a little something to earn): Profits and losses in peasant economies.” American Ethnologist 26(2): 344–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGuire, S., G. Manicad, and L. Sperling (1999). Technical and Institutional Issues in Participatory Planting Breeding-Done from a Perspective of Farmer Plant Breeding: A Global Analysis of Issues and of Current Experience. Cali, Colombia: CIAT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nazarea, V. D. (1998). Cultural Memory and Biodiversity. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nellithanam, R., J. Nellithanam, and S. S. Samiti (1998). “Return of the native seeds.” The Ecologist 28(1): 29–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Netting, R. (1993). Smallholders, Householders: Farm Families and the Ecology of Intensive, Sustainable Agriculture. Palo Alto, California: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ortega, R. (1997). “Peruvian in situ conservation of Andean crops.” In N. Maxted, B. V. Ford-Lloyd, and J. G. Hawkes (eds.), Plant Genetic Conservation: The in Situ Approach (pp. 303–314). London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • NRC (National Research Council) (1989). Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulson, S. (1998). Desigualdad social y degradación ambiental en América Latina. Quito, Ecuador: Abya-Yala.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reardon, T., J. Berdegué, and G. Escobar (2001). “Rural nonfarm employment and incomes in Latin America.” World Development 29(3): 395–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades, R. E. (2001). Bridging Human and Ecological Landscapes: Participatory Research and Sustainable Development in an Andean Agricultural Frontier. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades, R. E. and V. D. Nazarea (1999). “Local management of biodiversity in traditional agroecosystems.” In W. W. Collins and C. O. Qualset (eds.), Biodiversity in Agroecosystems (pp. 215–236). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, P. (1995). “The versatility of the poor: Indigenous wetland management systems in Sierra Leone.” Geo-Journal 35(2): 197–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, P. (1996). “Culture and community values in the selection and maintenance of African rice.” In S. B. Brush and D. Sabinskey (eds.), Valuing Local Knowledge: Indigenous People and Intellectual Property Rights (pp. 209–229). Washington, DC: Island Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousi, A., J. Salo, R. Kalliola, P. Jokela, L. Pietilla, and M. Yli-Rekola (1986). “Variation pattern in ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus-Basillaceae): A supposedly asexual Andean tuber crop.” Acta Horticulturae 182: 145–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rousi, A., P. Jokela, R. Kalliola, L. Pietilla, J. Salo, and M. Yli-Rekola (1988). “Morphological variation among clones of ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus, Basillaceae) collected in southern Peru.” Economic Botany 43(1): 58–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salaman, R. N. (1985). The History and Social Influence of the Potato. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soleri, D., S. E. Smith, and D. A. Cleveland (2000). “Evaluating the potential for farmer and plant breeder collaboration: A case study of farmer maize selection in Oaxaca, Mexico.” Euphytica 116(1): 41–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tapia, M. E. (1996). Ecodesarrollo en los Andes altos. Lima, Peru: Fundación Friedrich Ebert.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tapia, M. E. and A. de la Torre (2000). La mujer campesina y las semillas andinas. Lima, Peru: FAO and IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiele, G. (1999). “Informal potato seed systems in the Andes: Why are they important and what should we do with them?” World Development 27(1): 83–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiele, G., G. Gardner, R. Torrez, and J. Gabriel (1997). “Farmer involvement in selecting new varieties: Potatoes in Bolivia.” Experimental Agriculture 33: 275–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiele, G., E. van de Fliert, and D. Campilan (2001). “What happened to participatory research at the International Potato Center?” Agriculture and Human Values 18: 429–446.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thrupp, L. A. (1998). Cultivating Diversity: Agrodiversity and Food Security. Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tripp, R. (1996). “Biodiversity and modern crop varieties: Sharpening the debate.” Agriculture and Human Values 13(4): 48–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valdivia, R., E. Huallpa, V. Choquehuanca, and M. Holle (1996). “Monitoring potato and oxalis varieties in mixtures grown on farm family fields in the Titicaca Lake basin, Peru, 1990-1995.” In P. Eyzaguirre and M. Iwanaga (eds.), Participatory Plant Breeding (pp. 144–150). Rome: IPGRI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weismantel, M. (1988). Food, Poverty, and Gender in the Ecuadorian Andes. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvannia Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westoby, M. 1979/1980. “Elements of a theory of vegetation dynamics in arid rangelands.” Israel Journal of Botany 28: 169–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whyte, W. F. (1997). “Potatoes, peasants, and professors: A development strategy for Peru.” Sociological Practice 2(1): 7–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winterhalder, B. (1994). “The ecological basis of water management in the Central Andes: Rainfall and temperature in southern Peru.” In W. P. Mitchell and D. Guillet (eds.), Irrigation at High Altitudes: The Social Organization of Water Control Systems in the Andes. Washington, DC: American Anthropological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witcombe, J., D. Virk, and J. Farrington (eds.) (1998). Seeds of Choice: Making theMost of New Barieties for Small Farmers. London: Intermediate Technology Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, D. and J. M. Lenné (1997). “The conservation of agrobiodiversity on-farm: Questioning the emerging paradigm.” Biodiversity and Conservation 6: 109–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zerner, C. (2000). People, Plants, and Justice: The Politics of Nature Conservation. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerer, K. S. (1996). Changing Fortunes: Biodiversity and Peasant Livelihood in the Peruvian Andes. Berkeley / Los Angeles: University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerer, K. S. (1998). “The ecogeography of Andean potatoes: versatility in farm regions and fields can aid sustainable development.” BioScience 48(6): 445–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerer, K. S. (2002a). “Social-agroenvironmental variability of seed production and the potential collaborative breeding of potatoes in the Andean countries.” In D. Cleveland and D. Soleri (eds.), Farmers, Scientists, and Plant Breeding: Integrating Knowledge and Practices (pp. 83–107). Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerer, K. S. (2002b). “Common field agriculture and development change in Latin America.” Journal of Cultural Geography 19(2): 37–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerer, K. S. (2003). “Geographies of seed networks and approaches to agrobiodiversity conservation.” Society & Natural Resources 16 (forthcoming).

  • Zimmerer, K. S. and D. S. Douches (1991). “Geographical approaches to crop conservation: The partitioning of genetic diversity in Andean potatoes.” Economic Botany 45(2): 176–189.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karl S. Zimmerer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zimmerer, K.S. Just small potatoes (and ulluco)? The use of seed-size variation in “native commercialized” agriculture and agrobiodiversity conservation among Peruvian farmers. Agriculture and Human Values 20, 107–123 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024097008693

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024097008693

Navigation