A strategy that could partially or totally reduce the use of chemical synthesis fertilizers is the application of cyanobacteria with agricultural potential that promote plant growth, which powers them in the conception of a sustainable agriculture. The study evaluated the effect of four concentrations of an extract of Limnospira maxima (0, 4, 8, and 12 mg mL-1), on some physiological aspects of Stevia rebaudiana and Solanum melongena in house vegetation. Treatments were arranged under a complete random design and parameters of gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, biometric characteristics and biomass distribution were measured. The most important results indicated that in Stevia rebaudiana and Solanum melongena the rates of net photosynthesis increased respectively by 40,03% and 22,45% when cyanobacteria was applied. On the other hand, plants of both species that were inoculated required less electrons to maximize their photosynthesis rates, increased leaf area, plant height and biomass distribution in roots and leaves. The most important physiological indicator was net photosynthesis and this was positively correlated with almost all the parameters studied. The results suggest that the use extracts of L. maxima may be a biotechnological alternative of organic fertilization useful for the development of sustainable agriculture.

At present, the use of biofertilizers and protein plants in the nutrition of pastures and forage has increased. The investigation was carried out in the University Center of the municipality of Cumanayagua, county of Cienfuegos, Cuba with the objective of evaluating the response of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit to the inoculation of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) strains. The experiment was carried out in polyethylene bags. The experiment used a random blocks design with three replicates and the following treatments: #1. Soil (Control treatment, without inoculation and NPK application), #2. Soil + inoculation with the AMF strain F. mosseae/INCAM-2, #3. Soil + inoculation with the AMF strain G. cubense/INCAM-4) and #4. Soil + NPK fertilization at plant establishment application of NPK (25, 40 y 120 kg ha-1 de N, P2O5 y K20) + N at each cut at 70% of the initial dose. The inoculation with AMF was simultaneous for all treatments. A establishment cut and five successive cuts were performed, with 51.33 average days between them. The biomass production, the content of gross protein of L. leucocephala in each harvest and the cumulative total, as well as mycorrhizal effectiveness, were quantified. L. leucocephala positively responded to F. mosseae/INCAM-2 inoculation. Biomass production for cut increased between 31,50 % (Treatment #2) y 19,40 % (Treatment #3) with respect to control treatment. Inoculation with F. mosseae/INCAM-2 showed higher mycorrhizal effectiveness. The highest value in gross protein was obtained in the variant with mineral fertilization and the inoculated variants overcame the control treatment, with better performance than treatment # 2 ( Soil+ Funneliformis mosseae/INCAM-2).

The development and production of bananas are influenced by spatio-temporal edaphoclimatic conditions, which explains in a certain way the heterogeneous response that occurs on the farms, highlighting the need to generate information regarding the morphological characteristics of fruit for taking corrective actions that entail to increased productivity. The objective of this research was to carry out an analysis of production, taking into account the quantifiable variables through bunches profiling. 98,956 bunches recorded in a period of 108 weeks between 2021 and 2022 were analyzed in ten farms of two banana groups in Urabá-Antioquia, in the municipalities of Turbo, Apartadó and Carepa. Variables such as: cluster age, cluster weight, number of hands, basal-apical calibration, basal-apical length, removal of fingers and hands in the field. The R 4.2.1 software was used, with which a Spearman correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was obtained and for comparison of means, a Kruskal post-hoc was done. Statistical differences were identified (p-value<2.2e-16) and the highest correlations were between age-weight (0.24), age-basal calibration (0.23) and number of hands-weight (0.45). These results indicate that harvest profiling is a practical and agile method that allows quantifying morphological variables of the bunches, making yield projections and adjusting agronomic management depending on the specifications of the marketer.

Biological control is a potential and sustainable option to deal with crop production and yield problems affected by insects or pathogenic microorganisms. In vanilla crop, obtaining the natural scent present in its fruits is limited, mainly by diseases that affect commercial crops. The main disease of vanilla crop is root and stem rot (RSR), caused by F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-vanillae and F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae. We found that the use of endophytic fungi (EF) isolated from healthy or asymptomatic plants requires systematic research for the selection of the most effective species to control pathogens, particularly in this crop. Additionally, there is no evidence reported with respect to this topic, in spite of, the use of these microorganisms is a natural alternative in other crops, compared to the use of agrochemicals used in traditional agriculture. This review addresses the perspective, and raises the need for research on the potential use of endophytic fungi as biological control agents of fungal pathogens in cultivated plants, emphasizing the relationship Endophytic fungi-Vanilla-pathogenic Fusarium.

Consortia of native species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Trichoderma (TRI) strains were evaluated in a greenhouse to control the sedentary endoparasitic nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Mi) on Capsicum annuum. Plants inoculated with AMF and TRI consortia were inoculated with Mi, and eight treatments were evaluated: i) AMF, ii) TRI, iii) AMF+ TRI, iv) AMF + Mi, v) TRI + Mi, vi) AMF + TRI + Mi, vii) Oxamil nematicide + Mi and viii) Control, with 15 replicates arranged in a completely randomized experimental design. After 166 days, the AMF + Mi treatment resulted in the lowest galling index (53%). The lowest number of eggs was obtained with TRI + Mi and AMF +TRI + Mi with reductions of 68 and 55% with respect to control, and 54 and 37% to Oxamil + Mi. Reduction of females was achieved with treatments AMF + Mi in 11%, TRI + Mi in 42% and AMF + TRI in 61% with respect to control. Treatments without Mi inoculation presented healthy roots and a higher average of agronomic variables. The AMF + Mi, AMF + TRI + Mi treatments, which included nematode inoculation, promoted greater plant growth, with effects equal to those obtained with Oxamil + Mi. The consortia promoted plant growth and exerted antagonistic control effects against M. incognita greater than the nematicide.

Inoculation between bacteria and fungi can be an efficient and viable alternative for production of horticultural crops. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of co-inoculation between Trichoderma harzianum and the biostimulant ME-50® on the growth promotion and productivity of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and green beans [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpen]. Two experiments under garden conditions were carried out, in a 2×2 factorial arrangement, in a random blocks with five replicates, to evaluate the effects of inoculation (100 mL L−1) and not inoculation to the soil with the bioestimulant ME-50® in combination with seed inoculation (100 mL L−1) and non-inoculation seeds with T. harzianum strain A-34 to improve the growth (height, leaf area and dry matter of leaves and stems) and productivity (number, length and mass of fruits and yield) of cucumber and green beans. Inoculation with the biostimulant ME-50® promoted greater growth and productivity of cucumber and green bean plants compared to the inoculation with T. harzianum. However, coinoculation between both biostimulants was more efficient in the growth and development of both plant species; increasing the productivity of cucumber (133 %) and green beans (138 %). The results of this study suggest that coinoculation between the biostimulant ME-50® and T. harzianum has a synergistic, efficient and viable effect on the growth and productivity of cucumber and green beans plants, being considered useful in organic, ecological and sustainable of the crops.

The southern zone of the department of Córdoba Colombia, for more than two decades has been promoting the cultivation of cocoa as a productive alternative in the replacement of illicit crops. There is no evidence of a study documenting the technical and economic characterization of the cocoa production system. The objective of this work was to analyze the production system from a technical and economic point of view. The sample is made up of 158 farmers selected at random. The information included aspects related to this production system in the municipalities of Montelíbano, Puerto Libertador, Tierralta and Valencia. The economic returns were obtained by the technique of the concession with producers with experience. The producers with an average age of 57 years of which 77% are male and 23% are women, about the educational level, basic primary predominates with 54% and 20% not having access to any level of schooling. The production model is that of family farming, average yields are 570 k/ha-1. The average income per year is 5,687,500 $/ha-1 the costs are 5,041,015 COP. per hectare which allows the generation of surpluses. The internal rate of return is 36% higher than the capital opportunity cost. It is concluded that with the local technology the costs are recovered, and generate surpluses for the producer of 1658,984 COP per hectare per year.

Color is one of the main characteristics that allows to establish the quality of food. Technically, it is defined as a mental response to the stimulus that a visible radiation produces in the retina that is transmitted to the brain by the optic nerve, so it is closely related to the nervous system and thus, this attribute in food marks the preference of an individual. Given its importance, different systems have been developed to objectively measure color in food, evaluating the changes obtained in a product due to processing and storage, determining, among other things, its shelf life. Considering the above, this review is presented with the objective of recognizing the main methods for determining color of food, and its applications in the food industry.

Maintaining some productivity of the Creole yam (Dioscorea alata L.), affected by anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), from agrochemicals, generates changes in soil fertility, water quality and in the agricultural ecosystem of peasant agri-food production, but the proportion in which the management of an endemic fungus impacts and therefore persistent over time is unknown. This situation leads to investigate the environmental, economic, and social impact caused by the management of anthracnose in the cultivation of yam in the municipality of Colosó, department of Sucre, Colombia. A descriptive quantitative methodology was followed; A sample of 135 producers participated from techniques such as direct observation, interviews, surveys, focus groups and for the trade-off analysis of environmental, economic and social impacts the Leopold matrix. The results show a peasant production composed mainly of men (96%), of mestizo origin (91.6%), aged 41 to 60 years (55%); level of education in primary (56.5%) and baccalaureate (20.6%); They plant areas of 1.0 to 1.75 hectares (60.1%) and little technical assistance. Soil (47.3%) was impacted by accumulation of agrochemicals and water when contaminated (71.7%). Leopold's matrix considered the transformation of the territory around tutoring, soil loss, contamination of water bodies and burning of crop residues. In conclusion, maintaining the productivity of the Creole yam cultivar involves establishing the trade-off of the relationship between the planned solutions and the impacts on ecosystems in terms of environmental costs.