Abstract

MENDEZ-BARRETO, Karla; MACANCELA-HERRERA, Alberto  and  ESCALONA-AGUILAR, Miguel. Functionality of Community Seed Banks. Case Study: APA Azuay. Investig. Agrar. [online]. 2025, vol.27, n.1, e2701801.  Epub June 13, 2025. ISSN 2305-0683.  https://doi.org/10.18004/investig.agrar.2025.e2701801.

ABSTRACT The agricultural, ecological, and social importance of seeds as genetic material allows them to be preserved in seed banks (SB), which must have adequate infrastructure, techniques, and methodologies to prevent the loss of seed viability. However, different communities play an important role in maintaining local seeds in community seed banks (CSB). This case study was conducted at the CSB of the Association of Agroecological Producers (APA) Azuay, located in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, and aimed to determine the functionality of the APA Azuay CSB based on the current state of biodiversity and its influence on its members. A database was generated through information collected from the CSB and surveys conducted with CSB member-participants. The results showed that in the CSB, richness and Alpha biodiversity are limited, as both the Shannon-Weaver and Simpson indices showed medium-low range values; furthermore, APA Azuay members were already conserving seeds before becoming part of the CSB; however, the increased demand for popular crops such as corn and beans has led to genetic erosion. This study concludes that the CSB does not fully fulfill the functions for which it was created, either due to the low biodiversity of seeds or the little relevance it has had for its members; likewise, it is necessary to improve the infrastructure and appropriate techniques for the maintenance and conservation of genetic material.

Keywords : Agrobiodiversity; agroecology; germplasm; native seed.

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