Dataset for: Characterizing local potato seed systems in the province of Cotopaxi-Ecuador

In Ecuador, as in other developing countries, the limited knowledge about the complexity of the different seed systems has restricted the impact on seed security of a large amount of interventions. To contribute to the impact of seed interventions, this research aimed to: (1) understand the different traits of a diverse array of seed systems and (2) describe the different agricultural and social characteristics of the households of the province of Cotopaxi.

The design of this study (survey/sampling strategy) was based on the information collected during a pilot study (n=40 interviewed farmers selected at random). Therefore, this survey was implemented using a stratified sampling design where each canton (Latacunga, Pujili, Salcedo and Saquisili) was considered as a different stratum. Each stratum was initially divided in different numbers of quadrants to assure proper spatial distribution.