Crop Wild Relatives of Avocado, Mamey Sapote, and Cherimoya

Abstract

Avocado, mamey sapote, and cherimoya are tropical fruits widely distributed in Mexico. These fruit species have played very important roles in the different cultures of Mexico, as food, medicine, cosmetics, and for rituals. Therefore, this chapter presents the economic, social, cultural, and environmental importance, risks, and threats each one of them has faced for hundreds of years and how cultures have maintained them through a series of strategies that have allowed them to be among the most important fruit trees in Mexico today. In addition, the strategies of conservation (in situ and ex situ), the advances in their use, and the challenges and expectations to continue maintaining their genetic diversity are presented here.