Ethnobotanical survey of edible aroids in the Philippines; 2: selection and conservation of and threats to genetic resources
1997
Pardales, J.R. Jr. (Visayas State Coll. of Agriculture, Baybay, Leyte (Philippines). Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center)
The cultivation of edible aroids are usually in home gardens or marginal fields where it is common to observe two or more taro varieties growing together or taro with other aroids like yautia, giant taro or elephant foot yam. Good eating quality is the primary character considered by farmers in selecting taro variety to plant. In the availability of more superior taro variety, it is either that the variety in the garden with the least superior characteristics is eliminated to give way to the new variety or all the varieties in the garden are removed to make a place for a pure stand of the new variety. The genetic resources of Edible aroids in farmers' fields are highly threatened by a number of factors which include the availability of new and improved varieties, diffusion of modern services to the rural areas, insurgency problem, and erosion of traditional beliefs and loss of indigenous knowledge. Taro is the only edible aroid in the country that is conserved systematically (ex situ) while the rest of the edible aroids are relegated to the traditional planters (in situ)
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