The agaves are plants of cultural importance which have been used by humans for about 10,000 years and about 40 specific uses. The most culturally and economically important of those uses are for the production of fermented (pulque) and distilled beverages (mescal). Pulque continues to be produced in nearly all of Mexico, and the agaves used for this purpose have shown domestication syndrome. We carry out an ethnobotanical, morphological, and genetic analysis of the traditional varieties of pulque agave used in the production of aguamiel (agave sap) and pulque in the state of Hidalgo. We did semi-structured interviews, free listings, and tours with 11 agave managers. We analyzed morphology and studied genetic diversity and structure using nuclear microsatellites. We found wild-collected, tolerated, transplanted, and cultivated varieties of agave. This comprised 19 traditional varieties of pulque agave, 12 of them in production during the study, which corresponded to the species Agave americana, A. salmiana y A. mapisaga and five intraspecific entities. The varieties were grouped morphologically according to a management gradient; the wild-collected varieties were the smallest, with more lateral teeth and a larger terminal spine. The cultivated varieties clearly exhibited domestication syndrome, with larger plants and smaller dentition. The expected heterozygosity (He) of the varieties ranged from 0.204 to 0.721. Bayesian clustering suggested the existence of three genetic groups, both at the level of traditional varieties of pulque agaves and for management categories, a result that matches multivariate clustering. Pulque producers in the studied localities maintain high agrobiodiversity. The cultivated varieties exhibit domestication syndrome, as has been reported for other species of the genus with the same selection purposes. Our results support the hypothesis of a decrease in genetic diversity in crops compared to wild-growing agaves, which seems to be due to vegetative propagation, among other factors.

Background: The agaves are plants of cultural importance that have been used by humans for about 10,000 years for about 40 specific uses, of which the most culturally and economically important are fermented (Pulque) and distilled beverages (Mescal). Pulque continues to be produced in nearly all of Mexico, and the agaves used for this propose have shown domestication syndrome and selected morphological characteristics, such as larger plant size (since size is positively related to sap production) and less dentition of the leaves.Methods: In this study, we carry out an ethnobotanical, morphological and genetic analysis of the traditional varieties of pulque agave used in the production of aguamiel (agave sap) and pulque in two localities of the state of Hidalgo. We did semi-structured interviews and tours with crop owners, tlachiqueros (sap harvesters), and people related to the production system. We analyzed the morphology of 111 plants, and we studied the diversity and genetic structure of 130 individuals using 16 nuclear microsatellites.Results: We found wild, tolerated, transplanted, and cultivated varieties of agave. Asexual reproduction was the main method of propagation. We recorded 19 traditional varieties of pulque agave, 12 of them in production during the study, which correspond to the species Agave americana, A. salmiana y A. mapisaga with five intraspecific entities. The varieties were grouped according to a management gradient; the wild varieties were the smallest, with more lateral teeth and a larger terminal spine. The cultivated varieties clearly exhibited domestication syndrome, with larger plants and smaller dentition. The expected heterozygosity (He) of the varieties ranged between 0.204 to 0.721. Bayesian clustering suggested the existence of three genetic groups (K = 3), both at the level of traditional varieties of pulque agaves and for management categories, a result that matches multivariate clustering.Conclusions: Pulque producers in the studied localities, maintain high agrobiodiversity. The cultivated varieties exhibit domestication syndrome, as has been reported for other species of the genus with the same selection purposes. Our results support the hypothesis of a decrease in genetic diversity in crops compared to wild agaves, which seems to be due to vegetative propagation, among other factors.

Magnolia vovidesii has been found in a few small patches in central Veracruz, Mexico. Previous ecological studies have suggested high reproductive potential and stable population growth; however, in the last 20 years, there have been severe anthropogenic environmental impacts on the species. The main objectives of this study were (a) to document the current trend of the population, (b) to determine its spatial structure, and (c) to identify the main threats to the species in order to propose conservation and management strategies. Our results show a population in decline, caused by high mortality during early establishment stages (seeds and seedlings) and the removal of young sick trees during the reproductive stage. We found a strong spatial dependence between seedlings and reproductive individuals (young and old adults) and a weak spatial association between reproductive stages, suggesting a nursing effect, inbreeding, and pollen dependence. The main threats to the population are frequent plant removal, trails used by people, land-use change, and parasitism. These data show the urgent need to carry out prompt conservation action for the species, with special emphasis on ex situ propagation. The results of this study suggest that M. vovidesii should be transferred to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List category for critically endangered species.

Los chinicuiles son insectos comestibles que han formado parte importante en la dieta y economía de los pueblos de México. Corresponden a una larva de polilla nocturna perteneciente a la especie Comadia redtenbacheri Hammerschmidt y, forman parte de los insectos barrenadores, en este caso de agaves. Los chinicuiles se posicionan en el mercado culinario de platillos exóticos, se consumen en diversas preparaciones como en las salsas, en tacos y fritos en mantequilla. Viven en dos tipos de magueyes, los silvestres llamados cimarrones o blancos de la especie Agave applanata Hort. ex. K. Koch y la especie cultivada y también silvestre de agave pulquero Agave salmiana Otto ex. Salm-Dyck. Se comercializa en los mercados tradicionales y tianguis. Mediante análisis demográficos, de perturbación y genéticos, documentamos una posible disminución en las poblaciones de estos insectos, y sugiere una relación entre su aprovechamiento y la afectación poblacional de los agaves.