Abstract

JIMENEZ-MONTERO, Manuel  and  AGUILAR MARTINEZ, Aurealuz. ETHNO-BOTANICAL STUDY OF AIR POTATO (Dioscorea bulbifera L.) IN DONOSO (COLÓN, REPUBLIC OF PANAMÁ). Luna Azul [online]. 2016, n.42, pp.54-67. ISSN 1909-2474.  https://doi.org/10.17151/luaz.2016.42.6.

In order to know and rescue the history, uses and management of Dioscorea bulbifera L. given by peasant communities in the district of Donoso (Colón Province, Panamá) an ethno-botanical study was conducted in the first semester 2012. The study was developed from focus groups, field observations and semi-structured interviews to key figures (elders, healers and people who plant D. bulbifera). Five focus groups and eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted, addressing aspects of history, names, traditional management, uses and forms of consumption of air potatoes in the region. Some outstanding results, demonstrate that Dioscorea bulbifera is a species of very old presence in the communities, used mainly for human consumption. Furthermore, farmers report the importance of this species as a highly nutritious food and having some medicinal uses. The information gathered suggests an eroded knowledge about this species, which is reflected in the level of knowledge of its handling and decreased cultivation. However, the rescued knowledge is useful for establishing essays that aim to systematize practices for cultivation of this species.

Keywords : Dioscorea bulbifera L.; ethno-botanic; traditional knowledge; Food security; Panamá.

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