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Abstract:Mexico is dominated by arid or semi-arid ecosystems, predominantly characterized as xeric shrublands. These areas are frequently deteriorated due to agriculture or over-grazing by livestock (sheep and goats). The vegetation type mainly consists of thorny plant species, and among these, the dominant one in overgrazed areas is catclaw (Mimosa biuncifera). This is a nurse plant that facilitates establishment of other vegetation and promotes plant succession. Catclaw plants form a mutualistic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which improves uptake of nutrients and water. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of inoculating catclaw plants with native AMF and starting their growth under a low water availability treatment in a greenhouse, and later transplanting them to field conditions of drought and deterioration. Field plants were evaluated according to their survivorship and growth. The seeds of catclaw plants and soil with AMF spores were collected in the Mezquital Valley of Hidalgo State, in Central Mexico. Seedlings were grown in individual pots in a greenhouse. The experimental design consisted of two levels of pot irrigation, wet (W) and dry (D), as well as the presence (M+) or absence (M-) of AMF inoculum, with 20 replicates for each treatment. The following plant parameters were recorded every week: height, number of leaves and pinnae, and mean diameter of coverage. After 20 weeks in the greenhouse, determination was made of fresh and dry biomass, relative growth rate (RGR), root/shoot ratio, real evapotranspiration (RET), water-use efficiency (WUE), and percentage of mycorrhizal colonization. The remaining plants growing under the dry treatment (M+ and M-) were then transplanted to a semi-arid locality in the Mezquital Valley. During one year, monthly records were kept of their height, number of leaves, mean diameter of coverage and survival. Results showed that compared to greenhouse plants under other treatments, those under the wet mycorrhizal (WM+) treatment were taller, had more pinnae, and were characterized by greater coverage, faster RGR, and greater fresh and dry biomass. Moreover, inoculated plants (WM+ and DM+) showed higher WUE than those uninoculated (WM-and DM-, respectively). After one year in field conditions, there was a higher survival rate for previously inoculated versus uninoculated plants. Hence, mycorrhization of M. biuncifera with native AMF inoculum increased plant efficiency in biomass production, thus favoring establishment and survival in field conditions. We concluded that inoculation of catclaw plants is recommendable for revegetation programs in deteriorated semi-arid zones. Approximately 60 % of land area in Mexico is arid or semi-arid (Herrera-Arreola, Herrera, Reyes-Reyes, & Dendooven, 2007). Thorny xerophytic shrubland represents nearly 40 % of the Northern and central regions of the country (Rzedowski, 1994). The main farming activities in semi-arid areas are low-rainfall agriculture and animal husbandry with small livestock ...

Objetivo: Analizar el establecimiento de albahaca morada (Ocimum basilicum var. purpurascens L. Benth.), orégano (Origanum vulgare L.) y cebollín (Allium schoenoprasum L.) en un sistema de producción vertical, utilizando lombricomposta (T1) o bocashi (T2) como abonos orgánicos. Diseño/metodología/aproximación: Se aplicaron dos tratamientos (bocashi y vermicomposta) y un control (suelo forestal) a los cultivos de cada una de las especies. Para esto, se instalaron tres muros verdes (T1, T2 y testigo), cada uno con distinto sustrato y con cinco plantas por especie. Después, se realizó un análisis de varianza con los datos de altura y de biomasa húmeda aérea; las medias se compararon con la prueba de Tukey (p ≤ 0.05). También, se realizó un análisis de componentes principales para evaluar la correlación entre la concentración de los nutrimentos de cada sustrato y la biomasa aérea de las plantas por especie. Resultados. La albahaca fue funcional en el sistema de producción vertical, obteniendo el mayor rendimiento al aplicar bocashi; de la misma manera, el cebollín se ajustó al sistema de producción vertical, creciendo mejor con lombricomposta que con los otros tratamientos. Limitaciones del estudio/implicaciones: El orégano no se adaptó al sistema de producción propuesto debido a que su raíz requiere de un mayor espacio. Hallazgos/conclusiones: Es factible cultivar plantas medicinales y aromáticas en sistemas de producción vertical; usando para la albahaca un abono orgánico con concentraciones altas de nitrógeno y potasio (bocashi), y para el cebollín un abono alto en fósforo (lombricomposta).