200 



100 

 90 



a 



< 70 



w 



"^ 50 



I ^^ 

 § 30 



^ 20 



10 







zszxzxzszz 



7/90 8/90 9/90 10/90 11/90 12/90 1/91 



MONTH 



SEEDLING 

 MATFRUTK 



W/FIflWERS 

 HARVESTED 



IMMATFRUrre 



Figure 6-6. Monthly phenology of com plants in seven selected gardens during 1990 (n = 7 gardens). 

 Plants were categorized as seedlings, with flowers, with immature fruits, with mature fruits, and 

 harvested. 



additional squash germinated and 17% had mature fruits seedlings. By 1/91 all remaining squash were 

 harvested. 



Density and mortality of crops . The density of seedlings varied greatly among the seven 

 selected gardens. Garden number 6 had the least number of stalks at 45.9 stalks/m^ (n = 6 surveys), 

 while garden number 10 had the greatest number at 179.0 stalks/m^ (n = 5 surveys; Table 6-1). The 

 average plot had 92.5 stalks/m' and was composed primarily of com (87% of stalks), kidney beans 

 (5%), and squash (3%). 



Not all of the crop seeds that germinated in the seven selected gardens developed and produced 

 mature fruits that could be harvested. Among the three major crops, squash seedlings experienced the 

 greatest mortality with an average loss of 82% (SE = 4.26, n = 6 gardens), while kidney beans 

 experienced an average loss of 62% (SE = 7.02, n = 7 gardens), and com experienced an average 



