The piquin chili seeds need to pass through the digestive system of a bird to grow.
This characteristic hinders the cultivation of this variety of chili on a regular basis during the year, as producers still can't produce a substantial crop. However, they have obtained some results in live specimens grown at Monterrey's Tec.
"There was a co-evolution between some species of birds and this plant. Our goal is to discover what chemical process take place inside the birds and replicate it with technology," said biotechnologist Juan Valiente, who is working in the domestication of this plant in the institute, where he also is a teacher.
The motivation behind the domestication of the piquin chili has economic, environmental, and health benefits, deriving from its wild plant status, Valiente said.
Since its still considered a wild plant, the piqui chili can have a high price. This chili is difficult to harvest and many people who harvest it in the wild often damage the plant by removing it from the root.
This practice, said the specialist, has endangered this plant in certain areas, which would be solved with a regular crop.
We can help preserve this plant, which has a great culinary tradition in Mexico, and decrease its price for the benefit of the consumers, but the most attractive reason to domesticate it lies in its potential to contribute to a healthy diet, like other chili peppers do, Valiente said.
