Resumen

CARVALHO, Miguel A.A. Pinheiro de et al. Contribution to the knowledge of agrodiversity in the county of Santa Cruz, Madeira. Rev. de Ciências Agrárias [online]. 2019, vol.42, n.3, pp.1-10. ISSN 0871-018X.  https://doi.org/10.19084/rca.16658.

This work analyzes the changes undergone by agrodiversity in Santa Cruz. This municipality, in Southern Madeira Island, presents four bioclimatic levels and many agroecological units. The evolution of agrodiversity began with the first human settlement, after the discovery of the Archipelago in 1418. In the first, the biophysical, specific and intraspecific agrodiversity increased and diversified due to the construction of agro-systems, introduction of crops, succession of agricultural cycles, adaptation to agroecological conditions and to the action of pests, diseases or man. Historical records document the introduction of a large number of crop species and the use of more than 72 crop species in the county. Some references indicate the cereals wheat and barley, rye, sugarcane, vineyards and sumac was most important crops in the settlement. However, several other cultures played an important role in the county's economy, being grown for food, commercial, industrial, cultural or religious purposes. The adaptation of these species to agro-systems and agro-ecological conditions gave rise to an indeterminate number of local varieties. Despite the limitations of historical records some local varieties of these cultures date back 140 to 500 years. Local varieties such as the wheat Trigo da serra, the grapevine varieties Malvasia and Gaula’s Tinta Antiga grape, the pear Caniça, Banana da terra, bean Corno de Carneiro and the João Ferino´s cabbage can be linked to the county's History. However, since the middle of the 20^th century, the agrodiversity undergoes a drastic reduction due to the decrease of agricultural areas, abandonment of crop species and extinction of local varieties. The evolution of agrodiversity was study by the Germplasm Banck ISOPlexis with the objective of establishing the historical and geographical changes that occurred with eleven of the most representative crops of the county. Despite the negative trends affecting agriculture, these varieties constitute a factor of differentiation and appreciation of local agricultural production, with the creation of short food chains and diversification of the rural economy.

Palabras clave : agrodiversity; biophysical; specific; intraspecific; local varieties.

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