Informal Seed systems and the management of gene flow in traditional agroecosystems: the case of cassava in Cauca, Colombia

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dc.creatorDyer, George
dc.creatorGonzález, Carolina
dc.creatorLopera, Diana Carolina
dc.date2012
dc.date2016-11-10T12:15:21Z
dc.date2016-11-10T12:15:21Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T15:13:29Z
dc.descriptionOur ability to manage gene flow within traditional agroecosystems and their repercussions requires understanding the biology of crops, including farming practices" role in crop ecology. That these practices" effects on crop population genetics have not been quantified bespeaks lack of an appropriate analytical framework. We use a model that construes seed-management practices as part of a crop"s demography to describe the dynamics of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Cauca, Colombia. We quantify several management practices for cassava the first estimates of their kind for a vegetatively-propagated crop describe their demographic repercussions, and compare them to those of maize, a sexually-reproduced grain crop. We discuss the implications for gene flow, the conservation of cassava diversity, and the biosafety of vegetatively-propagated crops in centers of diversity. Cassava populations are surprisingly open and dynamic: farmers exchange germplasm across localities, particularly improved varieties, and distribute it among neighbors at extremely high rates vis-à-vis maize. This implies that a large portion of cassava populations consists of non-local germplasm, often grown in mixed stands with local varieties. Gene flow from this germplasm into local seed banks and gene pools via pollen has been documented, but its extent remains uncertain. In sum, cassava"s biology and vegetative propagation might facilitate pre-release confinement of genetically-modified varieties, as expected, but simultaneously contribute to their diffusion across traditional agroecosystems if released. Genetically-modified cassava is unlikely to displace landraces or compromise their diversity, but rapid diffusion of improved germplasm and subsequent incorporation into cassava landraces, seed banks or wild populations could obstruct the tracking and eradication of deleterious transgenes. Attempts to regulate traditional farming practices to reduce the risks could compromise cassava populations" adaptive potential and ultimately prove ineffectual.
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/77654
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/98165
dc.languageen
dc.relationhttp://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0029067
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceDyer, George; González, Carolina; Lopera, Diana Carolina. 2012. Informal Seed systems and the management of gene flow in traditional agroecosystems: the case of cassava in Cauca, Colombia.
dc.subjectagrobiodiversity
dc.subjectdapa
dc.subjectlatin america and the caribbean
dc.subjectseeds
dc.subjectcultivars
dc.subjectplant propagation
dc.subjectmanihot esculenta
dc.subjectcassava
dc.subjectmaize
dc.subjectfarming systems
dc.subjectgermplasm
dc.subjectlandraces
dc.subjectplant cropping systems
dc.subjectfield crops
dc.titleInformal Seed systems and the management of gene flow in traditional agroecosystems: the case of cassava in Cauca, Colombia
dc.typeDataset

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Instituto Internacional de Investigación sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI)