Meaning of Milpa (What is it, Concept and Definition)

What is Milpa:

It is called as a milpa both a portion of land and the cultivation technique through which different types of corn seed are harvested , beans and squash .

The word milpa derives from the nahualt milli which means “sown plot” and from bread which translates as "Above", so that milpa means "above the planted plot." The milpa is also known by the following names: traditional milpa, Mesoamerican milpa or the three sisters, the latter being mainly the cultivation of corn, beans and squash.

The milpa is an ancient cultivation technique used by the natives in Mesoamerica and that many farmers still carry out, especially in some regions of Mexico The main benefit of the cornfield is to obtain a variety of plant foods that meet the basic nutritional needs of ma nera balanced.

The cornfield is a cultivation technique that does not deplete or fatigue the soil , since both corn, beans and pumpkins complement the necessary nutrients in order to keep the land in good condition.Therefore, it is not necessary to add chemicals that intervene in crops and soil quality, as in other cases such as rice, among others.

This makes the cornfield very productive and even ecological because it does not need chemical products or large machinery during agricultural activity, although some of its ancestral techniques have been modified.

Therefore, in the various vegetables can be harvested, beyond corn, beans and squash, so you can also add tomatoes, quelite and chili, among others.

Also, the corn also is characterized by forming a rich and diverse ecosystem developed in a small portion of land, in which plants grow and vegetables are harvested that sustain nutrients from the soil and exchange between plants.

In addition, the insects that arrive act in pollination and control pests and, coupled with this, animals also come to the cornfields that approach in search of food and, which together are taken advantage of by human beings.

Therefore, the cornfield is an ecosystem in which everything is harnessed, even, even the fact that the large leaves of the pumpkin plant provide shade and do not allow weed to grow.

However, there are cornfields located in tropical and humid areas where farmers, before To start the cultivation process they carry out a process of cleaning the grounds and burn the old vegetables and then take advantage of the nutrients provided by the ashes.

Therefore, the cornfield is considered by some specialists as a organic farming technique that enables balance of natural and human life.The milpa, from pre-Hispanic antiquity, allowed human beings to expand their food sources and establish social groups around them that developed agriculture without harming the environment.

However, although there are still milpas in various regions and countries, that has been negatively affected by modern production systems, making farmers leave aside less productive rural systems and techniques.

See also Agriculture.