The ecological basis for the application of traditional agricultural technology in the management of tropical agro-ecosystems

Abstract

The rural inhabitants (campesinos) of the lowland tropical region of southeastern Mexico have managed their traditional agro-ecosystems for centuries with a focus on sustaining yields on a long term basis rather than maximizing them in the short term. Recently introduced agricultural technology in the region has been rapidly displacing and even eliminating local practices in favor of large-scale commercial farming and cattle raising, yet without achieving the production levels originally proposed. This is accompanied by a loss of diversity in local cropping systems, leading to an ever-increasing dependence on imported food products, poorer nutrition, and degradation of natural resources.

Modular production units are proposed in order to help achieve once again the diversity and stability of productivity originally characteristic of the traditional agro-ecosystems. The primary focus of the units center around the application of ecological principles with the incorporation of empirical knowledge of varieties and practices still extant in the region. The basic structure of the units is described.

The ecological processes seen to be functioning in local agro-ecosystems are also applied in the modular units. This includes high species diversity in both time and space, high rates of biomass accumulation, closed nutrient cycling, and biological control mechanisms for weeds, pests, and disease. The perspectives for such systems of production are discussed.