SELECTION AND DOMESTICATION OF INDIGENOUS EDIBLE PLANTS AMONG FOOD GATHERERS IN EASTERN ECUADOR

The economy of a considerablenumber of tribal societies in Eastern Ecuador still relies on edible or medicinal collected from nature. Since traditional societies often refuse to adopt common food plants, it was assumed that indigenous plants regarded by their consumers to be very tasty, or highly efficient as medicinal plant, will be adopted by hte traditional societies more readily than domesticated crops commonly grown in modern agriculture.

To identify such plants, representativeof various tribal societies were interviewed by aquantitative method, developed in Israel during a survey among Bedouins. This method allowed the ranking of useful plants on a relative scale as rated by their consumers in an objective manner. In this way the most species are identified and propagated. Twelve knowledgeable informants readily provided information on 191 species of useful plants on which 59 were edible indigenous plants. Most are trees, however, two are interesting herbs: Eryngium foetidum (Unbelliferae) in Qinchua-culantro, applied as a spice and the second an unidentified squash (Cucurbitaceae), ucsha, in Quichua.

Selected species were propagated by seeds, cuttings, or corns in five nurseries, located within five communities, scattered over Eastern Ecuador: on the Upper Napa River, the Curary River and in Miazal in South East Ecuador. In 1991 ca 6000 plants were growing, comprising 41 species of which 22 were locally being utilized for food and 19 for medical purposes. Growth rate of these plants in the nurseries was impressively high, measurements for their objective evaluation are now being recorded. Of 6000 plants about 1000 were distributed to those willing to cultivate them. To evaluate their adoption, growth rates are now being followed.