Recent Approaches and Some Contributions in Family Fruit Growing in the Sierra Nevada de Puebla, Mexico

Campus Puebla, Colegio de Postgraduados, Puebla, Mexico

Abstract: The fruit component that is part of the agricultural production system of the Sierra Nevada in Puebla contributes significantly to family income. The objective of this paper is to analyze the actions carried out, and the main results generated in research in the fruit sector, specifically in the last three approaches of this activity, which has been carried out since 1975. They focus on disciplinary research and technology transfer in native and creole fruit trees, through pruning, nutrition and pest control based on natural, biological and organic products, this has contributed to achieving better markets and the export of tejocote fruit, and have also been generated good results with conventional production and protection technologies in improved fruit trees such as peaches, apples and apricots. In a case study it was found that the levels of productivity and agricultural biodiversity were high (6 fruit species interspersed with 7 annual crops and 20 varieties in total). This indicated that multi crop farming systems are still profitable and important among small farmers; while native and creole fruit trees have recently gained importance as walnuts, apples, tejocote and capulín, both for fresh sale and in gastronomy. This has justified starting actions recently (2019) in a new regional fruit sustainable development project.