In agriculture, a milpa is a field for growing food crops and a crop-growing system used throughout Mesoamerica, especially in the Yucatán peninsula, in Mexico. The word milpa derives from the Nahuatl phrase milpan (a cultivated field), which is the combination of milli (field) and -pan (a locative ending).[1] Based on the agronomy of the Maya and of other Mesoamerican peoples, the milpa system is used to produce crops of maize, beans, and squash without employing artificial pesticides and artificial fertilizers.
A milpa in Central American. The corn stalks have been bent and left to dry with cobs in place to indicate the planting of other crops.
The land-conservation cycle of the milpa is two years of cultivation and eight years of laying fallow.[2] In the Mexican states of Jalisco and Michoacán and in central Mexico as well as Guanacaste Province Costa Rica, as an agricultural term milpa denotes a single corn plant; in El Salvador and Guatemala, milpa specifically refers to harvested crop of maize and the field for cultivation.
A milpa is a field, usually but not always recently cleared, in which farmers plant a dozen crops at once including maize, avocados, multiple varieties of squash and bean, melon, tomatoes, chilis, sweet potato, jícama, amaranth, and mucuna ... Milpa crops are nutritionally and environmentally complementary. Maize lacks the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, which the body needs to make proteins and niacin; ... Beans have both lysine and tryptophan ... Squashes, for their part, provide an array of vitamins; avocados, fats. The milpa, in the estimation of H. Garrison Wilkes, a maize researcher at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, "is one of the most successful human inventions ever created."
The concept of milpa is a sociocultural construct rather than simply a system of agriculture. It involves complex interactions and relationships between farmers, as well as distinct personal relationships with both the crops and land. For example, it has been noted that "the making of milpa is the central, most sacred act, one which binds together the family, the community, the universe ... [it] forms the core institution of Indian society in Mesoamerica and its religious and social importance often appear to exceed its nutritional and economic importance."[4]
Milpitas, California, derives its name from the Nahuatl term "milpa" followed by the Spanish feminine diminutive plural suffix "-itas".[citation needed]
^Real Academia de la Lengua Española. "Diccionario de la Real Academia de la Lengua Española". Real Academia Espanola.
^Bridgewater, Samuel (2012). A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest. London: Natural History Museum. pp. 154–155. ISBN978-0-292-72671-0.
^Mann, Charles (2005). 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. New York: Vintage Books. pp. 197–198. ISBN978-1-4000-3205-1.
^Nigh, R. (1976) Evolutionary ecology of Maya agriculture in highland Chipas, Mexico. PhD dissertation, Stanford University. Ann Arbor: University microfilms.
External linksedit
"milpa" – Diccionario de la lengua española
Milpa Agroecosystems in Yucatan, Mexico
Maya Forest Gardeners in Guatemala and Belize
Maya Forest Garden, see The Milpa Cycle: The Essential Tool of the Maya Forest Garden
December 07, 2023
milpa, agriculture, milpa, field, growing, food, crops, crop, growing, system, used, throughout, mesoamerica, especially, yucatán, peninsula, mexico, word, milpa, derives, from, nahuatl, phrase, milpan, cultivated, field, which, combination, milli, field, loca. In agriculture a milpa is a field for growing food crops and a crop growing system used throughout Mesoamerica especially in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico The word milpa derives from the Nahuatl phrase milpan a cultivated field which is the combination of milli field and pan a locative ending 1 Based on the agronomy of the Maya and of other Mesoamerican peoples the milpa system is used to produce crops of maize beans and squash without employing artificial pesticides and artificial fertilizers A milpa in Central American The corn stalks have been bent and left to dry with cobs in place to indicate the planting of other crops The land conservation cycle of the milpa is two years of cultivation and eight years of laying fallow 2 In the Mexican states of Jalisco and Michoacan and in central Mexico as well as Guanacaste Province Costa Rica as an agricultural term milpa denotes a single corn plant in El Salvador and Guatemala milpa specifically refers to harvested crop of maize and the field for cultivation A milpa is a field usually but not always recently cleared in which farmers plant a dozen crops at once including maize avocados multiple varieties of squash and bean melon tomatoes chilis sweet potato jicama amaranth and mucuna Milpa crops are nutritionally and environmentally complementary Maize lacks the amino acids lysine and tryptophan which the body needs to make proteins and niacin Beans have both lysine and tryptophan Squashes for their part provide an array of vitamins avocados fats The milpa in the estimation of H Garrison Wilkes a maize researcher at the University of Massachusetts in Boston is one of the most successful human inventions ever created Charles C Mann 1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus 3 The concept of milpa is a sociocultural construct rather than simply a system of agriculture It involves complex interactions and relationships between farmers as well as distinct personal relationships with both the crops and land For example it has been noted that the making of milpa is the central most sacred act one which binds together the family the community the universe it forms the core institution of Indian society in Mesoamerica and its religious and social importance often appear to exceed its nutritional and economic importance 4 Milpitas California derives its name from the Nahuatl term milpa followed by the Spanish feminine diminutive plural suffix itas citation needed See also editAgriculture in Mesoamerica Domesticated plants of Mesoamerica La Milpa Forest gardening Inga alley cropping Maya diet and subsistence Terra preta Three Sisters agriculture winter squash maize corn and climbing beans Chapulin de la milpa Sphenarium purpurascens a grasshoppers species found in Mexico and Guatemala Agroecology Controlled burn Crop rotation Chitemene Shifting cultivationReferences edit Real Academia de la Lengua Espanola Diccionario de la Real Academia de la Lengua Espanola Real Academia Espanola Bridgewater Samuel 2012 A Natural History of Belize Inside the Maya Forest London Natural History Museum pp 154 155 ISBN 978 0 292 72671 0 Mann Charles 2005 1491 New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus New York Vintage Books pp 197 198 ISBN 978 1 4000 3205 1 Nigh R 1976 Evolutionary ecology of Maya agriculture in highland Chipas Mexico PhD dissertation Stanford University Ann Arbor University microfilms External links edit milpa Diccionario de la lengua espanola Milpa Agroecosystems in Yucatan Mexico Maya Forest Gardeners in Guatemala and Belize Maya Forest Garden see The Milpa Cycle The Essential Tool of the Maya Forest Garden Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Milpa amp oldid 1188230029, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
