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

The horn fly Haematobia irritans is a cosmopolitan hematophagous ectoparasite of great importance in livestock. In Mexico, H. irritans is distributed across the country, and is found during the whole year. The fluctuation of H. irritans population is related with climate conditions. Despite its wide distribution, the effects on animal health, and its negative impact on meat and milk production, little data exists on its infestation and epidemiology is limited. This paper is a review on the current situation of H. irritans in cattle in Mexico, its economic impact, control methods, perspectives, and research opportunities.

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la concentración de PC, EE, CNS, fibras, CFT, TC, CBD, THC, digestibilidad in vitro de materia seca y parámetros de fermentación ruminal de residuos agroindustriales de Cannabis sativa L. de dos procesos extractivos de cannabinoides, como fuente potencial de forraje en la alimentación de rumiantes. La flor de Cannabis sativa se expuso al proceso de extracción por prensado en frío (CPF) y extracción alcohólica (CEA); los residuos vegetativos obtenidos después de las extracciones se compararon con la flor cruda como testigo (FCC) utilizando un diseño completamente al azar y la prueba de Tukey para la comparación de medias. Los procesos extractivos disminuyeron el EE, CFT y cannabinoides (CBD y THC). En contraste, las fibras, CNS y digestibilidad, aumentaron después de los procesos extractivos en CPF y CEA. Del mismo modo, la degradabilidad  in vitro aumentó después  de ambos procesos  extractivos  por encima del 120 %, así como el período de latencia. Además, los protozoos aumentaron con CPF, pero no se observaron cambios en CEA. Asimismo, no se observaron cambios en las bacterias celulolíticas en CPF y CEA. Sin embargo, las bacterias totales se redujeron después de ambas extracciones. Además, el N-amoníaco en las fermentaciones ruminales disminuyó con CPF y CEA, mientras que los ácidos grasos volátiles totales aumentaron. Además, la producción de gas aumentó por encima del 75 % en CPF y CEA; sin embargo, no se observaron cambios en el período de latencia. Además, la producción de metano y CO2 aumentó por encima del 80 y 60 %, respectivamente, para CPF y CEA; estos aumentos se asocian positivamente con mejoras en las fermentaciones ruminales. En conclusión, el residuo agroindustrial de Cannabis sativa L. obtenido después de los procesos extractivos analizados puede surgir como una fuente potencial de forraje en la alimentación de rumiantes.

The survey of fruit fly species, especially of the Tephritidae family, in the culture of chili peppers (Capsicum frutescens) is important for a better understanding in the monitoring and control of these groups of insects, given their economic importance for the production of chili peppers. Fruit flies are responsible for major losses in commercial fruit trees, so it is essential to know the predominant species in the region. The objective of this work was to study the influence of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) on the cultivation of chilli pepper in the Mozambican semi-arid region. Infested ripe fruits (with larvae and/or with symptoms of fruit fly attack) were systematically selected, 1 fruit was collected from each plant, targeting damaged and undamaged fruits on each plant. it was necessary to distribute traps in the area and subsequently collect the flies. The obtained results indicate that in the monitoring with traps there was a predominance of the genus Dacus in relation to the genus Ceratitis. The population peaks of each season (2013 and 2014) occur in the second semester in months of fruit maturation in all genera. The occurrence of species such as: Celidodacus sp., Ceratitis capitata, C. cosyra, C. millicentae, C. rosa, Dacus sp., Dacus bivittatus, D. famona, D. hamatus, D. humeralis, D. punctatifrons. In conclusion, the attack of fruit flies significantly influenced productivity, causing economic damage, requiring redoubled control. The sequential use of the toxic bait, over time, increased the number of populations of the genera Ceratitis and Dacus. The application of traps was not able to prevent the access of fruit flies within the production areas.

In the Amazon, the conventional oil palm system (Elaeis guineensis) is changing the landscape through increased deforestation, loss of biodiversity and increased soil erosion. An alternative cropping system based on oil palm insertion in Agroforestry Systems (AS) was proposed in the city of Tomé-Açu (state of Pará, Brazil) in order to evaluate the impact of this system on soil quality compared to conventional cultivation (monoculture). The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of two types of differents AS (with high and low plant diversity) on the percentage of mycorrhizal colonization (PMC) on the oil palm and the spore density in the soil in relation to the conventional crop. The PMC was evaluated in fine roots (diameter ≤ 2 mm) and soil samples (0-10 cm) were collected. Mycorrhizal colonization in oil palm cultivation inserted in AS was higher in relation to monoculture, on the other hand spore density was higher in the conventional system. Soil management based on agroforestry systems with high or low diversity of plant species may contribute to mycorrhizal colonization in the oil palm of the Amazon.

The objectives were to evaluate the effect of two types of fertilizers on the biological and economic yields of lettuce and on the quality of the stem in flower alelí and to establish the Equivalent Land relationship of monocultures and polycultures of lettuce and flower alelí for cut flowers, respectively. For this, a factorial experiment was carried out with two factors: system with three plantation levels: monoculture of lettuce, monoculture of flower alelí and polyculture of both species and type of fertilizer with three levels: composted chicken litter, granulated chemical fertilizer and control. The evaluated variables did not show interaction between the plantation systems and the type of fertilizer. In lettuce with composted chicken manure, the economic yield was 5.70 kg.m-2 and the biological yield was 0.218 kg.m-2, significantly higher than the treatments with inorganic fertilizer (4.55 kg.m-2 - 0.206 kg.m-2) and the control (2.94 kg.m-2 - 0.164 kg.m-2). Similar results found in the crops association. In flower alelí, the incorporation of chicken manure to the soil allowed to obtain floral stems 30.8% and 20.4% longer than the control and the chemical fertilizer, respectively. In all the cases, the total land equivalent ratio -RETT- was greater than 1, which indicates an advantage of polyculture in relation to monoculture. The inorganic fertilization had a RETT of 1.21, higher than the rest of the treatments.

The objective of this study was to evaluate newborn biometrics and characterization of Podocnemis expansa turtle nests in the Crixás-Açu rivers, municipalities of Mundo Novo, Goais, Brazil. It consists of evaluating the newborns and the characterization of the nests after hatching. There was no statistical difference between eggs with oil, predatory nests, dead newborns, un hatched eggs, shell (total number of eggs counted within a nest), as well as hatching and survival rates for the distance of 30 meters from the river course. Animal weight, hoof length, hoof width, plastron length, plastron width or number of shields were obtained statistically significant considering the same fixed distance of 30 or greater than 30 meters from the river bank. In the eggshell analysis, there was a statistical difference regarding the amount of the element "Carbon" found, unlike the samples of pH, "phosphorus", "potassium", "hydrogen", "aluminium", "calcium", "magnesium" and matter. Organic. As for the particle size analysis of the sand extracted from the nests, there was a statistical difference in two sizes; 1 and 2 millimeters. This study shows that nests near vegetation are more successful in hatching.

The dominance in terms of entomofauna abundance in ecosystems is mainly due to the ecological functions they have. Insects are essential for the maintenance of agroecosystems as they interfere in the primary production of the crop. Conserving the abundance of beneficial entomofauna in agroecosystems is crucial for the stability of the habitat. This work was done to analyze the composition and structure of the insect community present in polycultures of organic vegetable crops in the southern region of Santa Catarina. The research was carried out at Chácara Koscrevic, located in the city of Laguna, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Six samples were taken in the summer of 2019/2020 and in the spring of 2020 using baited pitfall traps (sardines and honey) and randomly distributed by cultivation according to crop rotation. A total of 4,303 individuals were registered, distributed in eight orders, with Coleoptera and Hymenoptera being the most abundant. In terms of dominance, Coleoptera individuals prevailed in summer, totaling 1,106 individuals, and Hymenoptera in spring, with 628 individuals. The data indicate that the structure of the entomofauna can be affected by the climatic season. The fauna in summer is more diverse when compared to spring, following the characteristic pattern of insects. The edaphic attributes have significance in relation to fauna, that is, they interfere in its structure. The presence of beneficial insects was observed, such as specimens of Dermaptera, Staphylinidae and Megacephala (Tetracha) fulgida, contributing to the biological control of pests and the pollination of cultivated plants, demonstrating sustainability in organic crops.

Food and nutrition insecurity is linked to poverty worldwide. Ensuring food and nutrition security is a major challenge for most families in rural Mozambique. The aim of this study was to assess the state of nutritional and food security in families residing in Chókwè Municipality. The study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 260 families in 7 neighborhoods. The data collected was analyzed using IBM SPSS 22 static software to obtain percentage values and a food safety index. The study revealed an unstable level of food and nutritional security in the Chókwè municipality of the order of 55%. The minimum monthly household income was about MZN 4,900.00 (US$76.6), an amount that does not ensure the supply of all basic consumer goods to meet families' food needs. Corn, rice, oil and tubers are among the foods most commonly consumed by low-income families in Chókwè. Most of the food consumed by the population came from peasant family production, which depends on the region's soil and climate conditions that are limiting factors in obtaining sufficient and sustainable quantities of food for consumption. Implementing existing food and nutrition security management policies in the country can help reduce the level of food insecurity in the Chókwè community.

Grasslands in southern Brazil have inherent characteristics favorable to forage production for domestic herbivores, which can be impaired or enhanced by management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of management on plant characteristics, comparing commonly used techniques. The experimental design was bifactorial, the first factor consisting of four managements: burning, oversowing with annual winter forages, mowing and absence of interference, and the second factor was the time elapsed between management and evaluation. The experiment was conducted under field conditions, in a complete randomized block design with four replications. The LAI (leaf area index), dry mass production and crude protein content of the pasture were evaluated. Pasture management with oversowing showed higher LAI growth rate, as well as higher pasture dry mass production than the other treatments. There was no effect of the different managements on the crude protein content of the pasture, but of the time, with the highest value on the 53rd day. The results suggest that the adoption of management with oversowing of annual winter forages should be emphasized for the productive improvement of native grasslands in southern Brazil.

In southern Brazil, together with Argentina and Uruguay, is located the Pampa Biome. The fungal diversity present in this place can be affected by soil exploitation, which end up, consequently, influencing other biological communities. The objective of this study was to compare the fungal diversity in different land use areas in the Pampa Biome. For that, soil collections were carried out in the city of Pantano Grande, located in Rio Grande do Sul. Three different land use areas were sampled: native, pasture and forestry areas. Soil fungi were isolated using the decimal dilution technique. Identification occurred through observations of macro and microscopic characteristics. Through statistics methods, the diversity of fungi was analyzed and the fungal community was compared between the sampled areas. A total of 265 individuals distributed in nine taxonomic types were isolated. The three areas had four taxa in common (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sp., Trichoderma sp. and Fusarium sp.), while the areas used for pasture were the only ones to present exclusivity in the presence of a taxon (Verticillium sp.). With this, it was possible to conclude that the areas used for pasture have the highest fungal biodiversity among the studied areas; however, statistically, the fungal richness between the different types of land use did not present differences.