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

Productivity of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L) is linked to its nutritional demand, and knowledge about plant stages (time after planting) and plant organs demand, will allow producer to improve crop fertilization. The dynamics of essential and beneficial microelements in different ages and plant organs was evaluated. In the north Honduras, an experiment to evaluate six sampling treatments: 2, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 17 years after crop establishment was evaluated. Treatments were conducted under a completely randomized design with three replications. At harvest time, leaves, branches, husks and seeds were collected to analyze the concentrations of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, B and Na. The results show that the concentration of nutrients differed significantly between the organs and ages of the plant, with the highest concentration of Mn, Fe and B in leaves, Zn and Cu in seeds and Na in the seed shell. The nutrients concentration in the plant (leaf + branch + peel + seed) varied over time, with a higher Fe, Zn and Na concentration at the beginning of production (3rd and 4th year), while B concentration was higher 4th year and 10th year and, Mn and Cu concentration was higher at year 10th. In this study, microelement requirements also varied significantly as follow: Mn (73 %), Fe (11 %), Na (6 %), B (5 %), Zn (3 %) and Cu (2%). As conclusion, the essential and beneficial micronutrients varied in the plant tissue according to the plant age, aspect that was defined in this study.

Atriplex nummularia (Lindl.) is a shrub used as a strategic forage resource in arid and semi-arid livestock systems in summer. In 2019, two monitoring modules were created for this species in southern Chile; in the localities of Los Sauces (drylands, 37° south latitude) and Carillanca (dry central valley, 38° south latitude). Growth during 3 years (2019-2021) and forage quality of the material consumable by livestock were evaluated. Forage quality in summer was different between localities and was attributable to soil and climatic conditions. It is concluded that in Carillanca, a locality with higher rainfall and better soil quality, the highest growth in volume was recorded even when the cold period is extensive; in Los Sauces, however, despite average temperatures being better for the species (>10 °C), growth was lower, this being attributable to the soil conditions where the plantation was carried out (soil quality-site), together with the extent and severity of the dry period (summer and autumn).

In Colombia, agriculture can be developed on sloping land that requires zonal soil conservation practices. To do this, the area of ​​interest is analyzed for its determining properties, usually with sampling at specific points. Techniques of interpolation such as inverse distance weighting (IDW) and of prediction such as kriging can be used for prediction and estimation of values ​​at unsampled locations. The objective of this study was to compare the IDW and kriging methodologies for modeling the spatial distribution of the physical characteristics of the soil in the agricultural zone of the slope of the Hoya del Rio Suárez (HDRS). Data on five physical properties of the soil associated with erodibility: percentage of sand, weighted average diameter, available water retention capacity, bulk density, and real density, were used, corresponding to 932 points observed on the HDRS in a 700x700 m grid. Cross-validation was applied for each variable and the error of the evaluated techniques was compared. In addition, zoning maps of spatial variability were prepared to visually compare both procedures. The graphical representation of the IDW and the kriging estimates predictions were similar for all soil characteristics evaluated. However, cross-validation analysis yielded better results with kriging. The variance maps (kriging) showed that the estimation uncertainty was homogeneous for most of the HDRS. The kriging technique turned out to be more accurate than IDW in estimating values ​​at non-sampled points.

Limitation of research information on job satisfaction and enterprise success-remunerative business going concern of rice value chain actors especially the processors has been a challenge to the sustainability of the supportive policy driven rice value chain in the study area. Therefore, this necessitates research so as to identify the possible pitfalls alongside proffer viable scientific remedies that will enhance the sustainability of the entire rice value chain in the study area. Using a cross-sectional data obtained from a total of 133 and 67 par-boilers and millers respectively, through a well-structured questionnaire and interview schedule, the job satisfaction and agripreneurial success of micro-finance benefitted rice processors in Nigeria’s Jigawa state were investigated. Unlike the millers, it was established that majority of the par-boilers were not satisfied with the job and it owes majorly to poor job security and disincentive attitude of the supportive institutions. However, across the study target groups, despite the few hitches, majority of the enterprises were found to be successful and mutually owes to remunerative turnover ratio of the enterprise among others. Nonetheless, vulnerable household’s composition which exacerbates the pressure on the limited resources with negative consequence on the income capital base affected job satisfaction and agripreneurial success of the processors.  Therefore, the study advises the policymakers to strength the macro-economic policies so as to enhance the sustainability of the entire rice value chain in the study area. Also, concerned stakeholders involved in policymaking need to intensify their campaign on the importance of sustainable livelihood by encouraging most of the actors to maintain a fair household size.

Mycotoxins are substances produced by several species of molds that can grow on food under certain conditions of humidity and temperature, and constitute a real risk to human and animal health. The objective of the present study was to determine the presence of Mycotoxins (Aflatoxins) in primary and processed foods for humans and farm animals in Riobamba, Ecuador. Twelve samples were taken with 4 replicates of primary foods: rice, chicken, raw milk, corn, alfalfa, and wheat; and, processed foods: chicken sausages, pasteurized milk, bread and concentrates for chickens, cows, and pigs from the different markets with the highest concentration of product offer, which were analyzed through the ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent method (Veratox® for Aflatoxin Quantitative Test and Veratox® Aflatoxin M1, NEOGEN) with the capacity to determine quantitatively aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, M1. Of the total samples analyzed, 98 % presented contamination by aflatoxins, which according to the Ecuadorian Food Codex are within the allowed permitted parameters of less than 10 µg kg-1, for food and feed, and, less than 0.5 µg l-1 for milk.

This research analyzes ethnography and how it relates to the cultural identity of the town of San Miguel de Chade (Ecuador) by exploring its traditions, beliefs, social organizations and its worldview as a rural community. The ethnographic method allowed to obtain relevant information, making it possible to observe the positive and negative aspects of this community. A total of 42 ethnographic surveys were conducted to families within the community, and interviews were conducted with elders as they possess greater knowledge and richness embodied in their ancestors. A link between the cultural and the tourism bound can, thus, be achieved through the study of the social and cultural representations of the community, in order to debate the current situation of rural community tourism in Ecuador and, more broadly, at the Latin American level.

Hoy en día es más que evidente que la academia ha asumido nuevos retos, mas allá de su leitmotiv que es la formación de profesionales y los aspectos académicos. Uno de estos es la vinculación con el entorno, a través de prácticas preprofesionales, proyectos de trabajo comunitario y la oferta de cursos de educación continua. El segundo es la investigación, tanto formativa o avanzada, que cierra un círculo que alimenta al Sistema de Educación Superior de forma que cada uno de estos tres procesos se retroalimente entre sí. Esto es, la vinculación y la investigación son funciones sustantivas que unen a la academia con el entorno nacional e internacional, y que son aquellas de gestionar el conocimiento que se desarrolla en la periferia universitaria, provocando insumos para que la docencia sea un proceso actualizado, dinámico y alimente el espíritu crítico del tan necesario debate académico. Por otro lado, hablar de agronomía y turismo en el Ecuador y en el mundo, es tratar con dos sectores que han ganado espacio en el cambio de la matriz productiva de varios países. Una agronomía que tiene como reto el combatir el hambre a nivel mundial, cuidando al mismo tiempo los recursos naturales y culturales que sostienen principios de soberanía alimentaria, nutrición y calidad de vida. Así mismo, el turismo, que abona a dejar la dependencia sobre la exportación de materias primas, y coloca en el centro de desarrollo la posibilidad de apostar por el sector servicios como un aporte a construir un nuevo modelo, no dependiente mayormente en el petróleo o en la minería. Con estos antecedentes, resulta vital el apostar por un medio que aglutine y difunda, de forma libre y solidaria, los aportes escritos producidos por investigadores a nivel mundial, sobre los diversos aspectos de la agronomía y el turismo. Esto bajo la rigurosidad mínima, que permita exponer sobre temas de innovación y alternativos, pero guardando los estándares metodológicos que validen los resultados obtenidos. Para la Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas de la Universidad Central del Ecuador, esta apuesta ha recaído sobre la revista científica Siembra. Esta publicación, que ya va por su volumen 10, es el mecanismo que ha dado a conocer diversos aportes sobre el desarrollo de estos sectores. Surgiendo desde una tradición institucional de contribución a la generación de nuevos conocimientos para el debate académico, históricamente registrado en la extinta revista Rumipamba, Siembra retoma esta base estructural y se une a la corriente mundial dentro del ámbito académico, de compartir los hallazgos y resultados de los procesos de investigación y vinculación, con un objetivo claro de incidir en el pensamiento crítico y fortalecer la dinámica en las políticas públicas necesarias para sostener a estos sectores. Las estadísticas que acompañan a esta publicación son muy alentadoras, pues desde sus inicios, al momento se observan aproximadamente 7.000 consultas de los resúmenes de sus artículos al mes y más de 250.000 visualizaciones de sus artículos en un conteo histórico. Esta revista procesa aproximadamente 54 artículos por año, de los cuales un 39% han sido aceptados y publicados, luego de pasar por el riguroso proceso editorial y de pares ciegos. Esta producción esta sostenida por un excelente trabajo editorial encabezado por el Dr. Xavier Lastra, con el apoyo de más de 160 lectores y 26 editores de sección de diversas instituciones académicas del mundo. La revista ha alcanzado hitos históricos que fundamentan su credibilidad, ya que al momento se encuentra indizada en Scientific Electronic Library Online - SciELO, Sistema de Información Científica REDALYC, Sistema Regional de Información en Línea de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal - Latindex Catálogo 2.0, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources (ROAD), Red Iberoamericana de Innovación y Conocimiento Científico (REDIB), PERIODICA. Índice de Revistas Latinoamericanas en Ciencias - Dirección General de Bibliotecas, UNAM, European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences (ERIHPLUS), Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory, Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE), AGRIS, EuroPub, CORE, Open Academic Journals Index (OAJI), DIALNET, LatinREV, Google Académico, Academic Resource Index - ResearchBib, Clasificación Integrada de Revistas Científicas (CIRC), Matriz de Información para el Análisis de Revistas (MIAR), AURA, ICI World of Journals – ICI Journals Master List – Index Copernicus International, Dardo, La Referencia, Actualidad Iberoamericana, con retos futuros de ingresar a otras indizadoras como Web of Science o Scopus. Seguramente estos logros afianzan un proceso continuo de mejora en la calidad y la diversidad temática de esta revista. Sin duda alguna, es mucho lo logrado, pero de igual forma son los retos futuros. Estos desafíos no solo están en lograr entrar en otras indizadoras, sino en apuntar a fortalecer otros procesos. En primer lugar, apostar porque la revista crezca en numero de suscriptores y usuarios, fortaleciendo su presencia en el debate académico de programas de pre y post grado. En segundo lugar, activar redes con publicaciones similares a nivel mundial, para intercambiar experiencias y ampliar su aspecto geográfico en cuanto a lectores. En tercer lugar, impulsar números especiales, con editores externos invitados, sobre diversas temáticas de interés dentro de sus campos de conocimiento. Y finalmente, impulsar eventos para socializar eventos con las comunidades que participaron en las mismas y con aquellas autoridades, que podrían nutrirse de sus contenidos para la toma de decisiones en la política pública. A nivel personal ha sido un gusto, primero haber publicado en Siembra, y luego ser parte del equipo editorial, pues en ella confirmo el carácter pluralista, incluyente y abierto de esta publicación, para cumplir sus cotidianas metas de compartir conocimiento para un mundo mejor.

The musaceae are very important for food worldwide, in Ecuador they occupy 20,57% of the planted area, being the canton El Carmen one of the main sites dedicated to this exploitation. On the other hand, Ralstonia solanacearum, is the cause of the disease known as plantain moko, which can wipe out 100% of a plantation. Therefore, a morphological and biochemical characterization of R. solanacearum Race 2, pathogenic bacterium in banana and plantain crops in El Carmen, Manabí, Ecuador, was carried out in order to identify and determine the characteristics that confirm the presence of the etiological pathogen of the disease present in the mentioned area. The morphological and biochemical analysis was carried out at laboratory level; the samples were taken from plantain and banana plantations (soil and pseudo-stem), with symptoms of moko. As a result, virulence was identified in half of the samples. It was also confirmed that the bacterium is Gram negative, in its bacillus form, catalase positive, indole negative, with an oxidative and fermentative character of lactose and glucose, without presence of hydrogen sulfide, unable to hydrolyze starch in vitro culture. It was confirmed that the temperature of 4°C and pH of 4,5 inhibit the increase of its populations; however, the ranges of 25 and 37°C with pH of 6,5 to 8,5 did not prove to be restrictive for its propagation; therefore, it is affirmed that El Carmen meets the required standards for the t pathogen o proliferate optimally.

COVID-19 pandemic has generated global challenges such as health emergencies and economic crises, which have had direct effects on all economic sectors, including tourism and travel, which are the main contributors to the service industry worldwide; this industry experienced the impacts of the pandemic more severely due to the mobility restrictions established by the different levels of government, as a contingency measure in the face of growing infections. At national level, the losses in tourism were close to USD 1,810 million, and a shortfall of approximately 70,000 full employment positions. In this context, the objective of this study is to examine the way in which the owners and administrators of commercial premises in the Turi parish of the Cuenca canton, coped with the pandemic and its effects, using quantitative analysis methods and tools. The information that supports the analysis was obtained through a survey process in the territory using structured questionnaires, which allowed collecting the perceptions of the main actors related to tourism in Turi with respect to the variables where the effects of the pandemic are manifested.  The main results suggest that in the parish there is little presence of public policies aimed at reactivating tourism, so the sustainability of small businesses is vulnerable. The main conclusion of this research is focused on the importance of activating rural community tourism, positioning it as an economic activity for the population of Turi.

Biological parameters are used as early indicators of the quality of an agricultural soil (ICS), due to their quick response to the anthropic soil management. The main objective of this research was to determine the effect of the tillage system: no-till (SD) and conventional tillage (LC), and to the nitrogen fertilization in bean and corn crop on certain biological indicators of soil quality. The study was carried out on a mollisol from the Andean region of Ecuador. Microbial biomass (MB), microbial respiration (RM), and enzyme activity (acid phosphatase, hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate [FDA], and β-glucosidase [β-G]) were determined. The results showed that the phosphatase presented the highest activity under LC, the FDA responded to the effect of high nitrogen levels application (N), the activity of the β-G enzyme was higher under LC. Additionally, the principal component analysis selected these biological indicators studied as ICS. It is concluded that the biological indicators of the soil were affected by the management practices studied.