Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Introduction. The mineral content in pet food is not always displayed on the label. It is important to know this information in order to assess the nutritional contribution of the food. Objective. To determine the content of Ca, P, K, Na, Mg, S, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, and Zn in 34 imported foods for dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, ornamental fish, and turtles, and to compare the results with the recommendations found in the literature. Materials and methods. During the months of August and December of 2018, ten samples were collected of dog and cat food, five for ornamental fishes, four for turtles, three for hamsters, and two for rabbits. These were acquired directly at different points of sale in the Greater Metropolitan Area, San Jose, Costa Rica. The samples were analyzed at the Animal Nutrition Research Center of the Universidad de Costa Rica. The minerals Ca, P, K, Mg, S, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, and Zn were quantified based on the methodology recommended by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. The average content per feed group according to the animal species, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values were calculated compared with the nutritional recommendations for minerals found in the literature. Results. The foods studied met, on average, the mineral requirements for pets. Imbalances in Ca, P, and Mg content in the turtle foods, high iodine contents in dog foods, and unbalanced mineral relations were observed. Conclusions. A database was generated with average values and their dispersion in eleven minerals in 34 samples of commercial foods for seven companion animals in Costa Rica. Little information was available regarding the recommended upper limits and requirements in species such as hamsters, ornamental fish or turtles.

Introduction. The Fertilizer for Wellness Program was implemented in Mexico since 2019 and seeks to increase the productivity of staple crops, including beans. Objective. To measure the effects of the Fertilizer for Welfare Program on the bean market in Mexico, the economic benefit that it will generate in society and its contribution to the food self-sufficiency of the grain. Materials and methods. A spatial equilibrium model that considered the bean producing and consuming regions in Mexico was formulated and validated, information in the average year 2017-2019 was used. Results. The results indicated that the national bean production and consumption would increase by 228 and 79 thousand tons if the Fertilizer for Wellness Program benefited all bean producers; the above would mean a 22.1 % increase in production that would allow lowering imports to zero. The Fertilizer for Wellness Program has promoted greater bean production and has contributed to food self-sufficiency by eliminating imports, in addition to generate economic benefits for society, as producer and consumer surpluses would increase by USD$ 429 million and USD$ 226 million. Conclusion. The Fertilizer for Wellness Program favored production growth and encouraged bean consumption in Mexico and discouraged bean imports; this action increased bean productivity and contributed to food self-sufficiency.

Introduction. The tomato fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and the leafminers Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) and Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), affect tomato production in different areas in Venezuela. The parasitism of their eggs by Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is a valuable low-cost and sustainable control alternative that combined with other forms of control would be an excellent component of Integrated Pest Management. Objective. To evaluate the parasitism exerted by T. pretiosum on the lepidopteran pest populations in tomato. Materials and methods. The evaluation was carried out in all sowings between June and August 2017, from the third week after the transplant until two weeks after the last flowering, in the localities of El Pueblito, Los Ejidos del Hato, and El Vigiadero, Jiménez municipality, Lara state, Venezuela. Parasitoid adults were released and subsequently leaflets were collected to evaluate the parasitism of the eggs of the leafminer species. At the onset of fruiting, small and medium-sized fruits including the calyx were collected and carefully cut from the floral peduncle. In both cases, eggs were counted. Results. In all evaluations, a parasitism varied between 43 and 53 % for N. elegantalis, and between 16 and 48 % for leafminer species was recorded. In the laboratory, the parasitism for P. operculella and T. absoluta ranged between 88 and 84 %, when eggs were separated, when eggs were together, a higher parasitism of P. operculella eggs (76 %) versus T. absoluta (44 %) was observed. Conclusions. T. pretiosum exerted a significant parasitism on the eggs of the three-lepidopteran species in tomato crops in Venezuela.

Introducción. El envasado de alimentos ha jugado un papel importante y variado, siempre de acuerdo con los requisitos y exigencias del mercado. Actualmente, estas necesidades se centran en el objetivo de tener alimentos seguros e inocuos durante el mayor tiempo posible. Para ello, se ha ampliado el estudio y desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías para el envasado de alimentos, que proporcionan las condiciones y características necesarias para alcanzar el objetivo propuesto. Objetivo. Presentar los avances más recientes en el campo del envasado de alimentos (activo e inteligente), incluyendo las perspectivas del impacto económico alcanzado y su correspondiente proyección futura. Desarrollo. Este trabajo presenta diferentes técnicas y criterios que se consideran utilizados para proponer el concepto de envasado activo, que cuenta con las condiciones necesarias para el suministro o supresión de sustancias o componentes generados en el mismo y que contribuyen a la conservación y deterioro de los alimentos contenidos. Al mismo tiempo, se presenta la tecnología conocida como embalaje inteligente, dotada de los recursos necesarios para monitorizar, e interpretar el estado interno del envase, comunicando esta situación fuera del mismo. En ambos casos, se promueve el uso de agentes o compuestos de origen natural para minimizar sus implicaciones sobre la salud y la modificación de los alimentos implicados. Conclusiones. La generación de envases activos e inteligentes requiere una evaluación individual de cada alimento específico, frente a los componentes utilizados. Conocer las concentraciones, según la característica que se requiera controlar, y así, comprender las posibles interacciones que se pueden producir entre el contenido y el recipiente que lo contiene.

Introduction. The increase in pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) production demands good quality fruits from the market, with less environmental impact and minimal use of chemical products. Objective. To determine the effective dose of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and the appropriate formulation as a bioinsecticide for the control of key (Strymon megarus Godart) in pineapple crop. Materials and methods. This research was developed from February to April 2019 on a farm at Río Jiménez, Guácimo, Limón, Costa Rica. An unrestricted randomized plot design with repeated means over time was established with seven treatments and five replicates per treatment. For each replicate, data from twenty-five pineapple fruits were collected weekly, from 50 to 92 days after floral induction (ddf). The treatments were: B. bassiana WP at doses of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 kg ha-1, two treatments of B. bassiana at 3 kg ha-1, Carrier adjuvant, and oil-miscible formulation (OL), there were also an absolute control without insecticide application, and a biological insecticide Turex 3.8 WP (Bacillus thuringiensis) at 1.0 kg ha-1. Five sprays were made per treatment, the first at 50 ddf, and the rest at seven-day intervals until reaching 78 days. Results. All treatments showed a lower incidence of old damage (gummosis) compared to the absolute control. Only the T7 (comercial control B. thurigiensis 1 kg ha-1) and T2 (B. bassiana a 1 kg ha-1) treatments showed a damage incidence lower than 5 % during the whole evaluation period without significant differences between them, but with the rest of the treatments. Conclusion. The T7 (commercial control B. thurigiensis 1 kg ha-1) and T2 (B. bassiana 1 kg ha-1), treatments were the most effective for the control of Strymon megarus Godart in pineapple crops.

Introduction. Food consumption affects the environment, so it is necessary to investigate what level of knowledge the urban population has about the origin of the food they consume. Objective. To design, validate, and determine the reliability of an instrument to assess the level of knowledge that the urban population has regarding agroecological foods. Materials and methods. The work was developed at the Universidad Central de Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador, during the period 2020-2021. The type of research was exploratory-descriptive, with a non-experimental design and stratified non-probabilistic sampling. The content of the instrument was evaluated using the Delphi method with the participation of seventeen experts. Two pilot tests were applied to 370 and 1323 participants. The internal consistency and the homogeneity index were determined using Cronbach’s Alpha. The dimensionality of the construct was established with the Cronbach-Mesbah curve. Construct validity was assessed with factor analysis. Results. The content validity showed a value greater than 75 % of convergence between experts. In the internal consistency validation, Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.9 and the homogeneity index was greater than 0.2. In the study of the dimensionality of the construct, the Cronbach-Mesbah curve indicated that the unidimensionality was fulfilled throughout the instrument. In the construct validity in the factor analysis, it was observed that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure was 0.753. Bartlett’s sphericity was 0.000 and the factor extraction test was greater than 77 %. Conclusions. The instrument achieved high validity and reliability both in its content assessed by experts, and in its internal consistency, dimensionality, and construct validity performed by statistical methods. The instrument is reliable and can be applied in the urban population.

Introduction. There are alternative fertilization methods such as fertilizer injection to the pseudostem that present greater efficiency than traditional edaphic fertilization. Objective. To evaluate the effect of soil fertilization and nutrient injection on morphological variables and bunch weight of the plantain in soils of variable fertility. Materials and methods. Two experiments were established in the municipalities of Viota and Chaguaní, Cundinamarca, Colombia, in 2018. A completely randomized design in bifactorial arrangement was used. The two experiments were: Experiment A: two locations and two types of fertilization (traditional and soil chemistry) and Experiment B: two locations and four nutritive solutions (one based on amino acids and another one with nutrients, both in two proportions) and a control. The response variables were: bunch weight, days from flowering to harvest, diameter, and external length of the central finger. Results. Organic edaphic fertilization in Chaguaní soil had no effect on bunch weight compared to chemical sources. In Viotá, soil chemistry fertilization increased bunch weight compared to the use of traditional soil fertilization. This differential response is explained by the fact that in Chaguaní the soil had a higher exchange capacity, nutrient content, and organic carbon. The plants planted in Chaguaní produced heavier bunches (21.6 kg) compared to Viotá (19.0 kg), but in the last one the fingers of the bunch were shorter. The nutrient injection in both locations increased the plantain crop yield compared to the control without injection. Conclusions. A low dose of fertilizer in the high fertility soil had a similar effect on plantain production recorded in the low fertility soil that received a high dose of fertilizer. The injection of nutritive solutions should be validated as a complementary alternative to the traditional soil fertilization.

Introduction. Pineapple (Ananas comosus [L.] Merr. Var. comosus) represents one of the productive systems with the highest participation in the fruit and horticultural sector in Colombia. Plant genetic resources are the biological basis of world food security and are also the essential raw material for the genetic improvement of crops. In Colombia, the planting of an improved pineapple variety is a great problem, because it displaces the use of native cultivars, which are culturally rooted in terms of production and consumption in each location. This problem could be solved through the knowledge, characterization, conservation, and sustainable use of genetic resources, which are a source of genes of interest and that could be used to start a breeding program for this species. Objective. To recognize the importance of genetic resources as a strategy to implement a breeding program for pineapple in Colombia. Development. Plant genetic resources constitute the basis of food security; hence their knowledge, conservation, and sustainable use are necessary to guarantee agricultural production and meet the growing environmental challenges and climate change. Pineapple genetic resources in Colombia could be exploited, since there are different local varieties of pineapple, which constitute a gene pool with genes and characteristics of interest that could be used in breeding programs to obtain new cultivars to meet current demands and supply national and export markets. Conclusions. Knowing the genetic variability in pineapple genetic resources would allow planning conservation strategies, their sustainable use in agricultural systems and in crop breeding programs. It is necessary to incorporate molecular biology techniques to accelerate genetic improvement of pineapple.

Introduction. The intake of heavy metals can cause health problems in animals. Objective. To determine the concentration of cadmium, mercury, lead, and arsenic in 34 imported balanced foods marketed in Costa Rica for dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, turtles, and ornamental fish. Materials and methods. The content of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in imported balanced foods for six pets was quantified during the months of May to October 2018. On a random basis, authorized feed stores were visited to purchased ten packages of dog and cat food, five for ornamental fish, four for turtles, three for hamsters, and two for rabbits. The samples were analyzed at the Animal Nutrition Research Center of the Universidad de Costa Rica using atomic absorption spectrophotometry with graphite tube atomizer (As, Cd, Pb) and quartz cells (Hg). Results. The concentrations obtained in the food for dogs and cats, adults and puppies, rabbits, hamsters, ornamental fish, and turtles were for As 0.009, 0.013, 0.003, non-detectable (ND), ND, 0.036, and 0.113 ppm, respectively; for Cd ND, 0.021, 0.022, 0.031, 0.010, 0.037, 0.139, and 0.043 ppm, respectively; for Hg 0.101, 0.078, 0.045, 0.040, 0.031, 0.045, 0.032, and 0.032 ppm, respectively, and for Pb of 0.381, 0.885, 0.573, 0.740, 0.446, 0.732, 0.763, and 0.841 ppm, respectively. Conclusions. The contents of heavy metals in pet foods did not exceed the maximum values allowed for their commercialization. This work increases the information available on the safety of food for ornamental fish, hamsters, turtles, and rabbits, also promotes continuous monitoring strategies, and the understanding of the real potential for accumulation in animals, and its effects on their welfare.

Introduction. Remote sensors offer the ability to observe an object without being in contact with it. They are widely used in agricultural applications and have large development potential in banana (Musa AAA) plantations. During the past decades, the research in remote sensing and agriculture has increased through the availability of high-resolution satellite images (spatial, spectral, and temporal) and the use of remotely piloted vehicles that generate base information for research. Objective. To carry out a general review on the applications of the use of remote sensors for banana plantations in three specific aspects: determination of the cultivation area, productivity estimation, and disease diagnosis. Development. The extension of land covered by commercial banana plantations can be detected visually or easily by means of remote image classifications, such as the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor, which hve resulted in classification accuracies of around 95%. This is due to the high backscattering of the large leaves of the plant. However, the studies on productivity are scarce for banana cultivation and have been limited to the use of vegetation index, showing poor results in their correlations. As for the identification of diseases, work has been done on the main diseases affecting production with correlation levels above 90 % for some diseases. Conclusion. This review shows that banana plantations can be detected through the use of remote sensors and, likewise, these allow the identification of the main diseases in the crop. However, the results obtained to determine productivity are scarce and with little precision.