Overview of Native Crops and Genetic Resources in the Southwest.

A rich diversity of native crops and genetic resources may be found in the Southwest.  Native Americans cultivated maize, Phaseolus beans, squash, cotton, chile, and sunflower before the arrival of Europeans who introduced Old World crops. Wild relatives of cultivated tepary beans, chile, cotton, sunflower, and potato can be found in the Southwest. Maize has been cultivated in Arizona and New Mexico for 4000 years and many landraces are still cultivated on a small scale. Cultivated tepary beans display singular adaptation to the semi-arid environment. These native crops and genetic resources will be valuable in the developoment of strategies for crop production in hotter and drier climates.