ABSTRACT
Landraces of several cucurbit species are cultivated in Brazil. The greatest genetic diversity of cultivated Cucurbita seems to be found in Rio Grande do Sul State, where farmers have the knowledge and practice to store and exchange these seeds. Many of these varieties have potential for ornamental use. This research was developed to rescue the popular knowledge associated with the use and cultivation of landraces of ornamental pumpkins in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Farmers that donor landraces seeds to the Cucurbitaceae Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Temperate Agriculture were interviewed. A semi-structured questionnaire was used, with respondent identification (name, age, profession, gender, ethnicity and address) and guiding questions relating to knowledge about ornamental pumpkins (history of cultivation in the family, origin of the seed, popular name assigned, reasons to keep growing, planting time and harvest, the fruit selection criteria, ways to use, location and crop management, and ways of removing and storing seeds). We interviewed 12 farmers who donate the seeds for the Bank and, through them, nine other growers of ornamental pumpkin landraces were identified, which added three new accessions to the Bank. In conclusion, a relationship between the selections and their guardians was observed and a wide diversity of ornamental pumpkin landraces maintained by farmers in southern Rio Grande do Sul State was reported.
Keywords:
Cucurbita; Cucurbitaceae; family farming; genetic resources; genetic heritage.
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