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The pecan nut is produced in 57 countries in the world. Alternate bearing is one of the main biological problems that affect pecan cultivation. Mineral and organic fertilization is a good strategy to maintain and increase pecan nut production. In this study, several mineral and organic doses of fertilization were tested using a factorial arrangement 56 bounded to 25 treatments was used in structure Taguchi L25: nitrogen (N) 0 - 240 kg ha-1, phosphate (P2O5) 0 - 120 kg ha-1, potassium (K2O) 0 - 100 kg ha-1, calcium (CaO) 0 - 400 kg ha-1, liquid humus 0 - 3600 L ha-1 and solid humus 0 - 8000 kg ha-1. The study was carried out in Aldama city, Chihuahua (Mexico). An average yield of 2.4 t ha-1 was obtained, 157 nuts per kilogram and 58.9% of edible nut. The average alternate bearing intensity was 31.58%, and the long-term yield index (IRLP) was 9.59%. It is concluded that the factors whit the greatest impact on the analyzed variables were N and P2O5. In addition, it was found these mineral and organic fertilization systems help to reduce alternate bearing in pecan and simultaneously improve production and long-term productivity index. Optimal fertilization doses were defined: 181.4 kg ha-1 of N, 93.5 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and 3287.2 L ha-1 of liquid humus. Finally, the mineral fertilization complemented with organic fertilization is considered a good fertilization strategy for pecan trees, to increase production and with lower environmental impact.

The world production of apples in the 2019 cycle reached 7´620,288 tonnes. For marketing purposes and to supply the demand, apple fruits need to be stored for different periods under refrigerated conditions. However, in the market, the shelf life of the fruit is short, the quality decreases in postharvest due to the dynamic changes of its physicochemical properties, which cannot be stopped, but can be slowed down to improve its shelf life. Postharvest treatments by immersing apple fruit in salicylic acid (SA) and nutrients are an innovative technological alternative to maintain their quality. In this study, 5 concentrations were tested for the immersion of apple fruits cv ‘Golden Delicious’, using a 56 factorial arrangement delimited to 25 treatments, using the Taguchi L25 structure: SA 0 - 1.440 mM, potassium (K) 0 - 2.250, calcium (Ca) 0 - 31.500 mM, cobalt (Co) 0 - 0.180 mM, molybdenum (Mo) 0 - 0.0900 mM and magnesium (Mg) 0 - 0.0900 mM. The study was conducted in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. After 7 months of storage and 13 days of shelf life, the combination of K, Ca, SA and Co with the appropriate concentration values can maintain the quality variables and bioactive compounds at the desired optimum. It is concluded that the quality variables; firmness, juice percentage, juice density, titratable acidity and total soluble solids and the bioactive compounds; total phenols and antioxidant capacity can be maintained at the desired optimum.

No abstract

The increase in the cost of fertilizers and their low efficiency has led, through nanotechnology, to the generation of new innovative products that are sustainable and improve the productivity of crops. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a molybdenum nanofertilizer compared to two conventional fertilizers (chelate and sodium molybdate) applied via foliar combined with soil fertilization of NH4NO3 in relation to the Nitrogen Use Efficiency, growth and yield in green bean cv. Strike. Green bean plants cv. Strike were cultivated under controlled conditions in an experimental greenhouse and irrigated with nutrient solution. The treatments consisted of the foliar application of three Mo sources (Nano fertilizer, Mo Chelate and Sodium Molybdate) in four doses 0, 5, 10 and 20 ppm Mo, complemented with the edaphic application of four doses of NH4NO3 (0, 3, 6 and 12 mM of N). The results obtained indicate that the highest accumulation of biomass and yield were obtained with the application of NanoMo, with increases in biomass of 24.31% and 36.47% more in yield with respect to Chelate and Molybdate. Finally, it is concluded that the application of NanoMo improves the assimilation and efficiency of nitrogen use, reducing excessive applications of nitrogenous fertilizers without affecting the yield of the green bean crop.