Morphological characterization of native maize varieties (Zea mays L.)

Objective: To characterize the traditional milpa agricultural system and evaluate the phenotypic variation in native corn cobs of the coastal region of Oaxaca. Design/methodology/approach: 30 semi-structured interviews were applied to peasants of the community and morphological characters were evaluated in 100 ears of seven types of native maize. Normality (Shapi-ro-Wilks) and homoscedasticity (Kolmogorov) tests were performed, in addition to an ANOVA and where there was a significant difference Tukey's test (α<0.05). Results: The milpa is a polyculture system, seven types of native corn were recorded. Significant differences were identified in traits such as the length of the peduncle and cob, number of rows and grain dimensions. Limitations on study/implications: Findings/conclusions: The milpa is a system that houses biological diversity that contributes to the conservation of genetic resources and food security. Keywords: diversity, corn, phenotypic variation, traditional agricultural system.