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The combined inoculation of Rhizobium (R. tropici+R. freirei), Azospirillum brasilense, and Anabaena cylindrica, a diazotrophic cyanobacterium, is a technology that has not yet been tested and established in the production of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The inoculation may be a promising strategy for increasing crop productivity by combining the benefits of biological nitrogen fixation with the production of plant growth phytohormones. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the co-inoculation of Rhizobium, Azospirillum brasilense, and Anabaena cylindrica as an alternative method for optimizing the symbiotic performance and development of the common bean at greenhouse conditions. The treatments were as follows: (T1) control without N and inoculation, (T2) N addition (100 kg N ha-1), (T3) Riz (addition of R. tropici+R. freirei), (T4) Azo (Azospirillum brasilense addition), (T5) Ana (Anabaena cylindrical addition), (T6) Riz+Azo, (T7) Riz+Ana, (T8) Azo+Ana, (T9) Riz+Azo+Ana. We used a completely randomized experimental design with four replications. The co-inoculation of Riz+Azo+Ana promoted plant height, root length and volume, shoot dry matter, accumulated shoot N, number and dry matter of nodules at flowering, number of grains per pod, hundred seed weight, and grain production of the common bean, contributing to increased yield per plant. We observed an increase in common bean grain yield ranging from 62 to 84% after double and triple co-inoculation of rhizobia with azospirilla and/or cyanobacteria, with the highest yield observed in the plants inoculated with Riz+Azo+Ana (84%), similar to those observed in plants after N addition. However, field experiments are necessary to elucidate the performances of the inoculated beneficial microorganisms.

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El tomate es cultivado en todos los continentes y representa una de las principales fuentes de vitaminas y minerales, lo cual lo hace muy apetecido en el consumo diario de los hogares. Ante el resurgimiento de nuevas plagas en el cultivo de tomate los productores aplican indiscriminadamente plaguicidas, provocando efectos negativos para el ambiente y la salud humana. El objetivo fue diagnosticar el uso e impactos de plaguicidas en el cultivo de tomate en la parroquia Riochico, cantón Portoviejo, provincia de Manabí, Ecuador. Se utilizó el método deductivo e inductivo, sobre los agricultores dedicados a la actividad tomatera, lo cual permitió diagnosticar, describir y determinar el impacto en la sostenibilidad agroecológica por el uso indiscriminado de plaguicidas. Los resultados mostraron que las aplicaciones de plaguicidas se las realiza sin criterio técnico y se sitúan entre 35 a 40 aplicaciones durante el ciclo de este cultivo y lo aplican hasta <de 8 días antes de colocar el tomate en el mercado. Los agricultores de este sector aplican incorrectamente insecticidas a dosis superiores a las recomendadas, afectando a la salud humana y al ambiente, además, algunos aplican plaguicidas por sugerencias de otro agricultor, lo cual incide en el uso y manejo de agroquímicos, sin criterio técnico. Es necesario que el gobierno ecuatoriano implemente medidas a fin de preservar la salud de los productores y consumidores.

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Cocoa is a primary source of economic income in the agricultural and agroindustrial sectors of Ecuador. However, cocoa crops are vulnerable to meteorological conditions that affect reproduction processes, including pollen production, which has encouraged the study of factors related to low crop yields and practical implications in breeding programs. The objective of this study was to assess the pollen production per flower in 11 genotypes of <em>Theobroma cacao</em> national type and CCN-51 clone. The number of pollen grains per flower was estimated by collecting 10 flower buds from each genotype for 12 consecutive months and directly counting pollen grains using an optical microscope and a Neubauer chamber. An average of 32,611 pollen grains per flower was estimated, with the largest amount of pollen (44,000) produced by the CCN-51 genotype. There was a moderate positive correlation between the environmental variables and pollen production (temperature, <em>r</em> = 0.33; <em>p</em> = 0.028; precipitation, <em>r</em> = 0.43; <em>p</em> = 0.0025). Since pollen production is an important indicator used for the selection of promising genotypes, the genotypes identified with the highest pollen production should be used in breeding programs.

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