Mayan
Farmer Breeds Popular Maize Variety
Mayan farmer and breeder Rufino Chi: "I want to help my brothers so people can
have food for their families and stay on their farms."
An Inspired Experiment
It is a story Rufino Chi has told often and probably will tell for some time to come, judging from the animated responses from farmers every time Nalxoy is mentioned. Nalxoy is the product of a cross between PR7822, a CIMMYT maize population, and Nal-tel, a traditional maize grown by indigenous farmers in Yucatán, Mexico.
Nalxoy is the brainchild of Chi, a Mayan farmer from the village of Xoy, Yucatán. Chi did not know that the seed he acquired in 1983 from long-time friend and agronomist, Luis Dzib, was from CIMMYT. He knew only what Dzib told him, that it was good and gave high yields, and decided to try it on his field.
"I took the seed and planted it. It had very good yields, gave good-sized cobs and grain, but was very susceptible to pests. The stems were also not strong," said Chi. "I thought, why not cross this maize with Nal-tel? Nal-tel gave more maize per plant, the husk was hard and strong, and the grain was resistant to pests. The advantages of one balance out the disadvantages of the other. I crossed them and came up with this variety."
Chi continued growing the maize and after two years convinced Dzib to try it on his experimental field in Becanchén, Yucatán.
"Rufino came to me in 1985 and told me about Nalxoy and its yield1,500 kilograms per hectare compared to 750 with other varieties he used," recalls Dzib. "He wanted me to plant this maize. At first I was skeptical but began to grow the maize and record its yield and attributes. At the same time, Rufino's father, brothers, and community members continued experimenting with the maize in their fields."
The Word, and the Seed, Spread
The variety Chi developed in 1983 had yellow grain. In 1998, he began experimenting again and obtained white-grained Nalxoy. Both yellow and white Nalxoy were tried in farmers' fields in Xoy and other municipalities. Word of the maize spread.
"Farmers learned about Nalxoy from other farmers and came to buy seed. Some farmers from Chiapas came one year. They returned a year later and asked for more seed. I met a farmer in Campeche who bought 10 kilos. When I went to Quintana Roo, they asked me about Nalxoy and took 16 kilos," says Chi.
Nalxoy, by now known for its adaptability and high yields, also became part of non-governmental and research programs in the area.
"It was diffused to several communities in south and central Yucatán and in Quintana Roo," says Dzib. Soon more farmers were asking for seed.
"When We Don't Have Maize, We Have Nothing"
Yucatán has a large indigenous population and some of the poorest and most marginalized communities in the country. High migration rates, poor education, lack of basic social security, and very low incomes are common. Most farmers depend on maize for food. Conditions under which farmers grow the crop are difficult.
"The soils are poor in many areas, and we either have too much rain or it is very dry," says Dzib. "Nalxoy's leaves curl in when it doesn't rain. As soon as it starts raining, Nalxoy starts growing. The plant may be shorter and yield less, but it will give a harvest. With Nalxoy, farmers have greater food security."
"When we don't have maize, we have nothing. We have to go out to work to feed the family," says Daniel Castillo, a farmer from Tahdziú, one of the poorest communities in the area. "We need maize for the whole year. This maize "he points to Nalxoy" is good. It is more tolerant, we can grow it with other crops, and it yields more. Now we don't grow any other maize." Abel Escoffie, Director of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (INI, the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples) in José María Morelos, Quintana Roo, shares the sentiment. "It's a good maize and we have great hopes for it. Most of the maize we have here is very susceptible to pests and doesn't tolerate drought. If we can improve it further, it will be marvelous," he says.
"Maize Is Important for Indigenous Communities"
For Chi, Nalxoy has not only brought greater food security for his village, but also greater cohesion among indigenous communities. "Through this work, farmers are getting closer. We can learn from each other and become better organized," he says. "Maize is very important for indigenous communities. They are poor and undernourished."
The experience of Rufino Chi shows that poor, small-scale farmers often have their own pathways for adopting improved maize, believes CIMMYT social scientist Mauricio Bellon. Bellon was excited when he heard about Nalxoy because it supported CIMMYT research on "creolization" the process through which farmers change improved maize to suit their needs.
"Small-scale farmers benefit from improved maize through different pathways, not necessarily from directly adopting an improved variety," says Bellon. "Even though CIMMYT did not intentionally provide the maize for farmers to transform, Nalxoy came about because the improved maize clearly had some valuable characteristics. We need to evaluate experiences such as this and assess whether we can build on them and serve people better."
For more information:
Mauricio Bellon (m.bellon@cgiar.org)
August, 2004