Water management of strawberry cultivation is one the main problems of for crop production in Colombia causing fruit loss or malformation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of thermographic images as a tool to detect water stress in strawberry cultivation, using the crop water stress index method (CWSI). Plants of two strawberry varieties (Fragaria x ananassa Duch) were irrigated withoptimum and slight hydric deficit conditions, in a high tunnel system at the Savannah of Bogotá. Environmental variables (temperature, relative humidity, PAR radiation and vapor pressure deficit) and physiological variables (canopy temperature, substrate moisture content and stomata conductance) were monitored for five months, in order to validate the hydric status of the crop through the use of CWSI. It was concluded that using thermographic images is a valid tool to detect hydric stress in protected small crops, given its high correlation with other methods and is one of the most complete monitoring methods for water management, since it relates to physiological characteristics of the crop with environmental variables that affect it.

The heavy metal mercury among other toxic metals can accumulate in plant organs in large quantities toxic to humans. Carpinus betulus is a most species from Caspian hyrcanian Mixed Forests, in this research it was studied that how much mercury absorbed from the environment . Twenty five trees were randomly selected, and the distances between trees (Hornbeam) were 10 to 15 meters in industrial park in North of Iran . From each tree selected, 15 grams leaves and 15 grams root were harvested with horticultural scissors and 15 g of soil from 30 cm depth. Four stations were selected near steel factory. A control station, located 2 km from the steel factory was selected and three stations were located near the steel factory. Samples of leaves, soil and roots are prepared after encoding, placed in paper envelopes and transferred to the lab. The amount of mercury in plant samples was prepared by dry digestion with atomic absorption spectroscopy. To compare the effect of mercury concentration on leaf and stem and root, Tukey's test was used. The average concentration of mercury in soil is 0.96 mg / kg, root 0.551 mg / kg, leaf 0.28 mg / kg. With increasing mercury, observed in the amount of leaf chlorophyll content is decreased. According to conducted investigations in study the Carpinus betulus tree can be concluded that the accumulation amount of heavy metal, mercury, and hornbeam is suitable for absorbing the contamination of mercury of soil pollution

The cultivation of peach trees constitutes the fourth agricultural line of the province of Pamplona, Norte de Santander , Colombia however, they are the results of research on plant pathology issues. The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of different pruning moments on the seasonal dynamics of the main diseases of the peach tree Prunus persica (L.) Batsch in the municipality of Cacota. To achieve this, plots were taken with three pruning moments of the Gran Jarillo cultivar, evaluating the incidence percentage, severity and the Area Under the Disease Progress Curve (ABCPE) of the main foliage and fruit diseases. The lots were evaluated for a period of 11 months, taking into account the environmental conditions of the farm. At the end of the production cycle for each variable, a statistical analysis of comparison of means was performed for unrelated samples according to the Z test (p <0.05). Statistix (V4) and SPSS 23 statistical packages were used. As a result, it was shown that Taphrina deformans mainly affects the leaves and Sphaerotheca pannosa the fruits. The first is evident from the moment the first leaves unfold and reached its maximum incidence between 57 and 99 DDP for pruning in November and March, respectively. S. pannosa obtained its highest incidence (98.76%) at 166 DDP in pruning in November, for this same treatment Monilinia fructicola reached its highest incidence at 260 DDP and only affected fruits in a ripe state.

The present study was carried out in order to know the quality requirements for the commercialization and consumption of eggplant fruits in the main cities in Colombia. For this, semi-structured surveys were carried out that considered aspects of the commercialization, market, use, consumption, and quality of the fruits concerning the preferences of the fruit marketers and restaurants of Arab and Syrian-Lebanese food. Descriptive statistics, principal component, and multiple correspondences analysis were performed. The results made it possible to identify the characteristics of the traders, the origin of the fruits, prices, presentations, destination markets, and the most relevant aspects associated with the extrinsic quality of the fruit. It was found that, although there is a market for all types of fruits, in the cities of the interior of the country, black, shiny, firm, and shaped fruits are preferred, while in the Caribbean region, lilac or purple fruits longer than wide, bulbshaped fruits are preferred. The results allowed us to conclude that the quality aspects that determine most purche decisions in restaurants are the size, firmness, shape, and brightness of the fruits, while in marketplaces and supply centers, color, size, and health of the fruits are more determinant. It is recommended that genetic improvement programs in the country should be oriented to obtain varieties with colors, shape, and size according to the preferences of the regional and local market, highlighting the importance of obtaining fruits with greater firmness to improve shelf life.

Stevia cultivation is a viable agricultural activity in Colombia and the Caribbean region, which is based on the Morita II clone, representing a high risk of biotic and abiotic factors. For this reason, the morphoagronomic characterization of 25 clones from the germplasm collection at the University of Córdoba is important in order to group them according to their genetic affinity, and to identify and select those with the best agronomic advantages. For this purpose, 19 morpho-agronomic descriptors were applied (11 quantitative and 8 qualitative); a dendrogram was performed using Ward's method to distinguish among groups and a multivariate analysis of principal components to identify the descriptors that contributed to variability. Two main components were identified, the first, contributing with 47,74% and the second with 21,67% of the total variation, supported by performance-related characters. Likewise, the identification of 6 late flowering clones, dry leaf production and erect growth habit, which is of interest to advance in genetic breeding programs in the species.

The fabrication and use of compost are accepted thoroughly as a sustainable practice. In the "UCTB Soils Cienfuegos", Cuba, a research was carried out with the objective of evaluating the composting process starting from different combinations of plant residues with the addition of a microbial inoculant. A complete randomized block design with five treatments, and three replicates was used. The temperature was measured during the whole process, the decomposition and the chemical composition of the obtained compost was determined. Temperature maintained, indistinctly, for all treatments the sequence of the phases: Mesophyll, Thermophile and Mesophyll II, with a duration of the composting process between 105-110 days, and a percentage of decomposition of 78,2%, 84,6% and 88,6% respectively in the treatments 1, 2 and 3. In treatments 4 and 5, the duration of the process extended between 135-140 days, with a decomposition of 68% and 69,4% respectively, without effect on the decomposition level. The results allow to conclude that all compost types obtained are viable for use provided based on compost properties. Treatment 3 showed the lergest nitrogen value (1,55%), potassium (1,87%), organic matter (62,8%), phosphorus content of 0,53%, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) rate 23,29 and the highest percentage of decomposition.

The present study was carried out in order to know the quality requirements for the commercialization and consumption of eggplant fruits in the main cities in Colombia. For this, semi-structured surveys were carried out that considered aspects of the commercialization, market, use, consumption, and quality of the fruits concerning the preferences of the fruit marketers and restaurants of Arab and Syrian-Lebanese food. Descriptive statistics, principal component, and multiple correspondences analysis were performed. The results made it possible to identify the characteristics of the traders, the origin of the fruits, prices, presentations, destination markets, and the most relevant aspects associated with the extrinsic quality of the fruit. It was found that, although there is a market for all types of fruits, in the cities of the interior of the country, black, shiny, firm, and shaped fruits are preferred, while in the Caribbean region, lilac or purple fruits longer than wide, bulbshaped fruits are preferred. The results allowed us to conclude that the quality aspects that determine most purche decisions in restaurants are the size, firmness, shape, and brightness of the fruits, while in marketplaces and supply centers, color, size, and health of the fruits are more determinant. It is recommended that genetic improvement programs in the country should be oriented to obtain varieties with colors, shape, and size according to the preferences of the regional and local market, highlighting the importance of obtaining fruits with greater firmness to improve shelf life.

Stevia cultivation is a viable agricultural activity in Colombia and the Caribbean region, which is based on the Morita II clone, representing a high risk of biotic and abiotic factors. For this reason, the morphoagronomic characterization of 25 clones from the germplasm collection at the University of Córdoba is important in order to group them according to their genetic affinity, and to identify and select those with the best agronomic advantages. For this purpose, 19 morpho-agronomic descriptors were applied (11 quantitative and 8 qualitative); a dendrogram was performed using Ward's method to distinguish among groups and a multivariate analysis of principal components to identify the descriptors that contributed to variability. Two main components were identified, the first, contributing with 47,74% and the second with 21,67% of the total variation, supported by performance-related characters. Likewise, the identification of 6 late flowering clones, dry leaf production and erect growth habit, which is of interest to advance in genetic breeding programs in the species.

The heavy metal mercury among other toxic metals can accumulate in plant organs in large quantities toxic to humans. Carpinus betulus is a most species from Caspian hyrcanian Mixed Forests, in this research it was studied that how much mercury absorbed from the environment . Twenty five trees were randomly selected, and the distances between trees (Hornbeam) were 10 to 15 meters in industrial park in North of Iran . From each tree selected, 15 grams leaves and 15 grams root were harvested with horticultural scissors and 15 g of soil from 30 cm depth. Four stations were selected near steel factory. A control station, located 2 km from the steel factory was selected and three stations were located near the steel factory. Samples of leaves, soil and roots are prepared after encoding, placed in paper envelopes and transferred to the lab. The amount of mercury in plant samples was prepared by dry digestion with atomic absorption spectroscopy. To compare the effect of mercury concentration on leaf and stem and root, Tukey's test was used. The average concentration of mercury in soil is 0.96 mg / kg, root 0.551 mg / kg, leaf 0.28 mg / kg. With increasing mercury, observed in the amount of leaf chlorophyll content is decreased. According to conducted investigations in study the Carpinus betulus tree can be concluded that the accumulation amount of heavy metal, mercury, and hornbeam is suitable for absorbing the contamination of mercury of soil pollution

The progressive death of Tahiti lime trees in productive stage was evidenced in the production region of north-central Tolima in 2012, which led to significant detriment in fruit production of 79.98% in relation to the year 2011. Tree deterioration caused by progressive death of tissue or wood was attributed to the presence of the physiopathy known worldwide as Wood pocket (WP) because its damage was not associated with the presence of a pathogen in diagnostic tests in the laboratory. The presence and level of damage caused by WP has been associated with dry warm climate conditions related mainly to high temperatures, a condition similar to that which occurs in this producing area. The effect of WP on the photosynthetic parameters and leaf water potential was determined in an experimental trial in a commercial plantation of Lima Tahiti located in Flandes. In this area, hydrodynamic properties and the moisture content of the soil were characterized, and monitoring of climate conditions was also carried out. Our results indicated that the hydrodynamic properties, low availability of water in this soil and climatic conditions are favorable for the development of WP. The values in photosynthetic parameters and leaf water potential even in healthy plants are lower than those reported for this species, indicating that the plants are in constant condition of water stress that can be increased by the high average temperature. The presence of WP decreases in greater proportion the photosynthesis efficiency and water potential in leaf tissue. We hypothesized that the constant water deficit and high temperatures cause rupture of tracheids and cavitation in the xylem deteriorating the vascular system causing the death of wood or WP.