With the purpose of identifying the characteristics of variation in fruit size and seed production (potential and efficiency) of Cedrela odorata L. between sites and progenies established in the ejido La Balsa, municipality of Emiliano Zapata, Veracruz, fruits were harvested from 20 trees in February 2013, preserving the identity of each one. Fruit length and width were measured, seed was extracted and developed and aborted seeds were counted to calculate Seed Production Potential (SPP) and Seed Efficiency (SE). The results showed significant differences between sites and between progenies and for fruit length between sites. The mean values found were: 32.52 mm (fruit length), 18.73 mm (fruit width), 39.9 seeds per fruit (SPP) and 57.51% (SE). The seed of this species for its use should be selected taking into account the production characteristics of crops and outstanding individual trees, in addition, due to the current regulatory restrictions on seed collection, the establishment of trials and plantations for germplasm production is a viable option for forest management of the species.

The wide distribution of the common beech (Fagus sylvatica) in Europe reveals its great adaptation to diverse conditions of temperature and humidity. This interesting aspect explains the context of the main objective of this work: to carry out a dendroclimatic analysis of the species Fagus sylvatica in the Polaciones valley (Cantabria), an area of transition with environmental conditions from a characteristic Atlantic type to more Mediterranean, at the southern limit of its growth. The methodology developed is based on the analysis of 25 local chronologies of growth rings sampled at different altitudes along the valley, generating a reference chronology for the study area. Subsequently, the patterns of growth and response to climatic variations are estimated through the response and correlation function, and the most significant monthly variables in the annual growth of the species are obtained. Finally, these are introduced into a Geographic Information System (GIS) where they are cartographically modeled in the altitudinal gradient through multivariate analysis, taking into account the different geographic and topographic variables that influence the zonal variability of the species response. The results of the analyses and cartographic models show which variables are most determinant in the annual growth of the species and the distribution of its climatic response according to the variables considered.

The performance of five cauliflower cultivars in conventional and alternative phytosanitary management—without the use of synthetic pesticides—was evaluated. Two experiments were conducted at Epagri, Ituporanga Experimental Station in February 2018 and 2019. A randomized block design with four repetitions was adopted, with twenty plants of each cultivar as plots. The seedlings were transplanted on millet and mucuna straw at a spacing of 0.5 m × 0.8 m. We evaluated agronomic yield, inflorescence quality, pest damage and plant diseases, especially bacterial and fungal rots. The cauliflower hybrids Vera, Verona and Serena stood out in productivity and quality, being the most indicated for sowing in off-season crops, in the Alto Vale do Itajaí region. The most productive cultivars were less damaged by bacterial diseases and defoliating caterpillars and without interference of whitefly infestation on yield. The results also reveal that it is possible to control pests and diseases with phytosanitary products of lower toxicity, i.e., with lower residues of synthetic pesticides.

Deficiencies in postharvest technology and the attack of phytopathogens cause horticultural products, such as tomatoes to have a very short shelf life. In addition to the economic damage, this can also have negative effects on health and the environment. The objective of this work is to evaluate an active coating of sodium alginate in combination with eugenol-loaded polymeric nanocapsules (AL-NP-EUG) to improve the shelf life of tomato. Using the nanoprecipitation technique, NPs with a size of 171 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.113 and a zeta potential of −2.47 mV were obtained. Using the HS-SPME technique with GC-FID, an encapsulation efficiency percentage of 31.85% was determined for EUG. The shelf-life study showed that the AL-NP-EUG-treated tomatoes maintained firmness longer than those without the coating. In addition, the pathogenicity test showed that tomatoes with AL-NP-EUG showed no signs of damage caused by the phytopathogen Colletotrichum gloesporoides. It was concluded that the formulation of EUG nanoencapsulated and incorporated into the edible coating presents high potential for its application as a natural nanoconservative of fruit and vegetable products such as tomato.

One of the biggest environmental problems that has affected the planet is global warming, due to high concentrations of carbon (CO₂), which has led to crops such as coffee being affected by climate change caused by greenhouse gases (GHG), especially by the increase in the incidence of pests and diseases. However, carbon sequestration contributes to the mitigation of GHG emissions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the carbon stored in above and below ground biomass in four six-year-old castle coffee production systems. In a trial established under a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with the treatments Coffee at free exposure (T1), Coffee-Lemon (T2), Coffee-Guamo (T3) and Coffee-Carbonero (T4), at three altitudes: below 1,550 masl, between 1,550 and 2,000 masl and above 2,000 masl. Data were collected corresponding to the stem diameters of coffee seedlings and shade trees with which allometric equations were applied to obtain the carbon variables in the aerial biomass and root and the carbon variables in leaf litter and soil obtained from their dry matter. Highly significant differences were obtained in the four treatments evaluated, with T4 being the one that obtained the highest carbon concentration both in soil biomass with 100.14 t ha^-1 and in aerial biomass with 190.42 t ha^-1.

Alfalfa is considered the most used forage crop in the world, its main use is for cattle feeding, due to its high nutritional value, specifically in protein and digestible fiber. Currently, the trend in agriculture is to reduce the application of chemicals and among them are fertilizers that pollute soil and water, so the adoption of new technologies and other not so new is becoming a good habit among farmers. Nanotechnology in the plant system allows the development of new fertilizers to improve agricultural productivity and the release of mineral nutrients in nanoforms, which has a wide variety of benefits, including the timing and direct release of nutrients, as well as synchronizing or specifying the environmental response. Biofertilizers are important components of integrated nutrient management and play a key role in soil productivity and sustainability. While protecting the environment, they are a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and renewable source of plant nutrients to supplement chemical fertilizers in the sustainable agricultural system. Nanotechnology and biofertilization allow in a practical way the reduction in the application of chemicals, contributing to the sustainability of agriculture, so this work aims to review the relevant results on biofertilization, the use of nanotechnology and the evaluation of the nutritional composition of alfalfa when grown with the application of biofertilizers.