Diversifying with grain legumes amplifies carbon in management-sensitive soil organic carbon pools on smallholder farms

Regis Chikowo Sieglinde Snapp (2023, [Artículo])

Crop diversification with grain legumes has been advocated as a means to increase agroecological resilience, diversify livelihoods, boost household nutrition, and enhance soil health and fertility in cereal-based cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a primary indicator of soil health and there is limited data regarding SOC pools and grain legume diversification on smallholder farms where soils are often marginal. In Malawi, a range of legume diversification options are under investigation, including rotations and a doubled-up legume rotation (DLR) system in which two compatible legumes are intercropped and then rotated with a cereal. The impact of the DLR system on SOC has not yet been determined, and there is a lack of evidence regarding SOC status over a gradient of simple to complex grain legume diversified systems. We address this knowledge gap by evaluating these systems in comparison to continuous sole maize (Zea mays L.) at three on-farm trial sites in central Malawi. After six years of trial establishment, we measured SOC in bulk soils and aggregate fractions and in faster cycling SOC pools that respond more rapidly to management practices, including water extractable organic carbon (WEOC), particulate organic matter carbon (POM-C), potentially mineralizable carbon (C), and macroaggregate C. Cropping treatment differences were not seen in bulk SOC or total N, but they were apparent in SOC pools with a shorter turnover time. The DLR system of intercropped pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rotated with maize had higher WEOC, POM-C, potentially mineralizable C, macroaggregate and microaggregate C values than continuous maize. Of the single legume rotations, the pigeonpea-maize rotation had more mineralizable C and microaggregate C compared to continuous maize, while the groundnut-maize rotation had similar C values to the maize system. Overall, this study shows the potential for crop rotations diversified with grain legumes to enhance C in management sensitive SOC pools, and it is one of the first reports to show this effect on smallholder farm sites.

Crop Diversification Water Extractable Organic Carbon CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DIVERSIFICATION LEGUMES PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER SOIL ORGANIC CARBON

Institutionalization of leftist utopias in Latin America: a case study

Guillem Compte Nunes (2023, [Artículo, Artículo])

Faced with popular dissatisfaction with liberal-capitalist democracy, at the beginning of the 21st century there is a governmental shift to the left in Latin America, in which Mexico is recently participating, with the arrival of the Morena party to power. The social movements that promote these political projects convey leftist utopias that seek to institutionalize themselves in political systems and public policies. However, this process of utopian institutionalization presents tensions and contradictions within the so-called party-movements. In this paper I present a methodological proposal for utopian analysis, which I apply to the “Colectivo La Calle”, a group that is part of the lopezobradorista movement in Mexico. I analyze three utopias mediated by this group and find that indeed the Colectivo is mobilizing against Morena’s pragmatism. This result adds to previous literature, which, given contemporary governmental experiences, questions the ability of the Latin American institutional left to overcome conservative hegemony.

utopía lopezobradorismo México acción colectiva Morena CIENCIAS SOCIALES CIENCIAS SOCIALES Utopia Mexico collective action

El proceso lluvia-escurrimiento-erosión en laderas y microcuencas instrumentadas

PEDRO RIVERA RUIZ JOSE LUIS OROPEZA MOTA ENRIQUE MEJIA SAENZ LUIS MARIO TAPIA VARGAS EUSEBIO JR. VENTURA RAMOS (2012, [Artículo])

Se evaluó el proceso lluvia-escurrimiento-erosión en diferentes prácticas de manejo con cultivos de escarda y de cobertera en lotes de escurrimiento, así como también en una parcela con cultivo de maíz, establecidos en laderas de suelos andosoles de la cuenca Villa Victoria del Sistema Cutzamala durante 2007. Se presentaron 168 eventos de lluvia de los cuales sólo 14 generaron escurrimiento superficial y erosión del suelo. Los resultados mostraron que en pendientes de 30%, los cultivos de escarda en surcos al contorno tuvieron una eficiencia promedio del 40% para el control de los escurrimientos y la erosión del suelo; por otro lado, en los cultivos de cobertera, su eficiencia fue del 62%.

Lluvias Erosión del suelo Agricultura Escurrimiento natural INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Análisis de cuatro variables del período de lluvias asociadas al cultivo de maíz temporal

Analysis of four variables associated with rainy seasonal in maize cultivation

MAURO IÑIGUEZ COVARRUBIAS WALDO OJEDA BUSTAMANTE CARLOS DIAZ DELGADO (2013, [Artículo])

Caracterizar y conocer las variables: inicio, duración, terminación de la estación lluviosa y la cantidad de precipitación con fines de precisar su magnitud y relacionarlas con la agricultura bajo condiciones de temporal, es y ha sido una preocupación importante para los agricultores y estudiosos de las ciencias agrícolas. En la región centro norte de México este problema se acentúa por la alta variabilidad de la estación lluviosa y la gran dependencia climática de la agricultura de temporal. La metodología indicada recrea cuatro variables climáticas de la estación lluviosa, analizadas por métodos reconocidos, y con base en un análisis probabilístico se asocian a la agricultura del cultivo del maíz de temporal. El estudio fue realizado para la región ubicada en el sur del estado de Zacatecas, México, sobre la estación climatológica Tlaltenango.

Agricultura de temporal Lluvias Cultivos alimenticios INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Influence of novel coconut oil and beeswax edible coating and MAP on postharvest shelf life and quality attributes of lemon at low temperature

Mohammad Mainuddin Molla Ashfak Ahmed Sabuz Md Abdul Matin (2023, [Artículo])

Weight loss, turning of peel colour from green to yellow and microbial infections are the major postharvest problems of lemon. Lipid-based edible coatings and modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) are effective techniques in maintaining postharvest quality of fruits for long-term storage. With this view, an investigation was conducted for the preservation of green lemon using coconut oil and beeswax edible coating and MAP during storage at low temperature. Physiologically matured lemons were collected and washed with potable water; fruit surface water was removed and then coated with coconut oil-beeswax (90:10) or only coconut oil. After coating, lemons were packaged in MAP or kept in open crates and stored at 12±1 °C and 85±5% relative humidity (RH) for 8 weeks and a week interval, the sampling was conducted. The results revealed that coconut oil-beeswax coating had immense effect on retaining shiny green colour, reducing respiration, weight loss, shrivelling and preserving firmness and ascorbic acid of lemon throughout the storage. On the other hand, MAP mainly helped to retain moisture & firmness and reduce shrivelling. Uncoated lemons kept open lost the highest amount of ascorbic acid and retained only 13.7 mg/100 g that is significantly (p < 0.05) less than the lemons of all other treatments at 8th week of storage period. While lemons coated with coconut oil-beeswax and packaged in MAP was preserved the highest amount (24.2 mg/100 g) of ascorbic acid and there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) with the amount of ascorbic acid content of lemons coated with only coconut oil and packaged in MAP at the last week (8th week) of storage. Hue angle value was 93.4 in uncoated lemons packaged in MAP while it was 113.67 in coconut oil-beeswax coated lemon kept open and 112.64 in lemon coated with coconut oil-beeswax and packaged in MAP at 8th week of storage. Based on all sensory, physical and chemical parameters uncoated lemons kept open was acceptable up to 1 week, coconut oil-beeswax coated lemon kept open was 6 weeks and coconut oil-beeswax coated lemon packaged in MAP was 8 weeks with good quality and shiny green colour.

Edible Coating Sensory Quality Hue Angle Yellowing CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA EDIBLE FILMS RESPIRATION RATE LEMONS MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING COLD

Genome-wide association analysis of tan spot disease resistance in durum wheat accessions from Tunisia

marwa laribi Sarrah Ben M'barek Carolina Sansaloni Susanne Dreisigacker (2023, [Artículo])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DISEASE RESISTANCE HARD WHEAT GENETIC DIVERSITY GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES LANDRACES POPULATION STRUCTURE

Preparing for, coping with and bouncing back after shocks. A nuanced resilience assessment for smallholder farms and farmers in Northern Ghana

Mirja Michalscheck Fred Kizito Carl Timler Jeroen Groot (2023, [Artículo])

Whole-Farm Model Health Shock CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION VULNERABILITY SMALLHOLDERS LANDSCAPE TECHNOLOGY

Near-real-time welfare and livelihood impacts of an active war: Evidence from Ethiopia

Kibrom  Abay Guush Berhane Jordan Chamberlin Mehari Hiluf Abay (2023, [Artículo])

Ethiopia recently experienced a large-scale war that lasted for more than two years. Using unique High-Frequency Phone Survey (HFPS) data, which span several months before and after the outbreak of the war, this paper provides evidence on the immediate impacts of the conflict on households’ food security. We also assess potential mechanisms and evaluate impacts on proximate outcomes, including on livelihood activities and access to food markets. We use difference-in-differences and two-way fixed effects estimation to compare trends across affected and unaffected regions (households) and before and after the outbreak of the war. Seven months into the conflict, we find that the war was associated with a 37 percentage points increase in the probability of moderate to severe food insecurity. Using the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), we show that exposure to an additional battle leads to a 1 percentage point increase in the probability of moderate or severe food insecurity. The conflict was associated with significant reduction in access to food through supply chain disruptions and by curtailing non-farm livelihood activities. Non-farm and wage related activities were affected the most, whereas farming activities were relatively more resilient. Our estimates, which likely underestimate the true average effects on the population, constitute novel evidence on the near-real-time impacts of large-scale conflict. Our work highlights the potential of HFPS to monitor active and large-scale conflicts, especially in contexts where conventional data sources are not immediately available.

Phone Surveys CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA WAR CONFLICTS FOOD SECURITY LIVELIHOODS

Calidad del agua de un lago urbano en la Ciudad de México (2015-abril 2017)

Ana Cecilia Tomasini Ortiz MERCEDES ESPERANZA RAMIREZ CAMPEROS Lina Cardoso (2017, [Memoria de congreso])

El lago urbano estudiado, está situado al oeste de la Ciudad de México. La problemática de la eutrofización del lago se agudizó y el lago presentó algunas características del estado de hipertrofía por su someridad y circulación limitada, falta de estratificación, regímenes de nutrientes y oxígeno no balanceado y productividad muy alta, tomando como parámetro concentraciones de Clorofila a. Por tal motivo, después de haber monitoreado el lago durante 2015 y hasta marzo de 2015, se adaptó una planta piloto de coagulación-floculación alimentada con agua del mismo lago para el retiro de algas.

Lagos Zonas urbanas Eutroficación Calidad del agua INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Manejo de pasturas para la crianza de llamas

Santiago Lopez-Ridaura Ravi Gopal Singh (2022, [Libro])

Pasturas CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURA DE CONSERVACIÓN GANADERÍA ARBUSTOS LEGUMINOSAS FORRAJES PASTOREO SUELO CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY SHRUBS LEGUMES FORAGE GRAZING SOIL CLIMATE CHANGE LLAMAS AGACHO