There are three main geographical regions in Peru: the coast, the mountain zone, and the jungle. Yellow flint maize is sown in both the coastal zone and the jungle, whereas only floury maize is grown in the mountains. In the coastal zone, maize is being replaced by more profitable crops. Consequently, yellow maize cropping is gradually shifting towards the jungle, and its use is reaching similar proportions in both the coastal plains and the jungle. In the jungle and mountain zones, agriculture is mainly rainfed with alternating periods of rainfall and drought, making agriculture a high-risk, low-return activity. Drought is estimated to affect up to approximately 30% of the cultivated area. Dry spells of one to five weeks may occur during any stage of crop development. Losses in grain production from 25-30% are the result; under severe drought stress, losses may be as high as 50%. To lay the foundation for large-scale production in these two regions of Peru, a genetic improvement program is proposed to develop cultivars with traits adapted to the regions' agroecological conditions, principally drought tolerance. This is to be achieved through varietal introduction, selection and hybridization, using both conventional breeding methods and biotechnology. This effort is certain to help reduce maize imports, which currently exceed a half a million tons per year.

Spanish

9801|AGRIS 9702

Jose Juan Caballero

CIMMYT Publications Collection