Open AccessMexican native varieties and plant health in the context of COVID-19: The case of Solanum lycopersicum
Author(s) -
Hipólito Cortéz-Madrigal,
Rineaud Nord,
Edgar Villar-Luna
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revista mexicana de fitopatología(en línea)/revista mexicana de fitopatología
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2007-8080
pISSN - 0185-3309
DOI - 10.18781/r.mex.fit.2021-19
Subject(s) - solanum , agriculture , context (archaeology) , pandemic , food security , food processing , microbiology and biotechnology , geography , biology , covid-19 , horticulture , medicine , food science , ecology , disease , archaeology , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
The importance of native Mexican varieties in agricultural food production is analyzed, discussed and reflected upon, particularly regarding emergency situations such as the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The main example used is the tomato, Solanum lycopersicum , comparatively with commercial varieties. Evidence is provided of the higher tolerance of native varieties to pests and diseases. When grafted onto commercial varieties, they maintained their tolerance, but also increased their yield. Before and perhaps during the pandemic, native tomato varieties have been an important food source for several marginalized communities in Mexico. The analysis suggests that the agricultural food production based on native varieties may help solve problems in the supply chain of imported agricultural inputs, while also solving the dependency on agrochemicals, fertilizers and commercial varieties, and promoting family-produced foods. A lower dependence on industrialized inputs would contribute towards self-sufficiency and food sovereignty, with nutritious and innocuous foods. In times of a pandemic, the family production model in marginalized rural settings would help reduce the mobility of people and the risk of contagion, increase food security and reduce SARS-CoV-2 risk factors due to the incidence of chronic diseases, particularly metabolic diseases.