Exceptional maize production in wetlands: the milpa marceña of Tabasco, Mexico
In the geomorphological region known as the Southeast Coastal Plain, between the Tonalá and Grijalva rivers, lies the Tabasco floodplain, which forms a large wetland dominated by seasonal swamps with herbaceous vegetation known as popal or popalería. The popal lands remain variably flooded (up to 2...
| Autores: | , |
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| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Estado: | Versão publicada |
| Data de publicação: | 2025 |
| País: | México |
| Recursos: | UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA CHAPINGO |
| Repositório: | Revista de Geografía Agrícola |
| Idioma: | espanhol |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ojs2.revistas.chapingo.mx:article/1407 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://revistas.chapingo.mx/geografia/article/view/1407 |
| Access Level: | Acceso aberto |
| Palavra-chave: | Interpolación espacial requerimientos de riego evapotranspiración precipitación efectiva Lowlands popal agroecology alluvial soils Mejen maize |
| Resumo: | In the geomorphological region known as the Southeast Coastal Plain, between the Tonalá and Grijalva rivers, lies the Tabasco floodplain, which forms a large wetland dominated by seasonal swamps with herbaceous vegetation known as popal or popalería. The popal lands remain variably flooded (up to 2 m) from july to february, due to overflowing rivers and abundant local precipitation (about 2000 mm). In March, the popal is grazed to be swon with Mejen maize and several curcubits, harvested in june; this is the milpa marceña. The fertility of the soil is annually renewed and the remaining soil humidity allows plots with popal to be used frequently, with corn yields similar to or higher than those obtained with later improved crops, under chemical fertilization and irrigation, but on other soils in the region. Compared to the slash-and- burn milpa of non-floodable lands, the milpa marceña requires 30% fewer working days for its production. The grain yield of the traditional maize crop in this production system (Mejen) is similar to that of the later varieties Olotillo and Dzit Bacal (its probable progenitors), but Mejen differs from them in its shorter (intermediate) cycle, without compromising grainyield. |
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