La necesidad de contar con organismos nativos con potencial para el control biológico de plagas para el nogal pecanero, motivaron el registro de la micobiota y búsqueda de entomopatógenos en larvas del gusano barrenador del ruezno (GBR) Cydia caryana. Para ello, en el año 2013, en una huerta de nogal en La Laguna México, se recolectaron y procesaron 5 000 rueznos para extraer larvas de GBR, que fueron incubadas en cámara húmeda o suelo. De larvas obtenidas antes del 12 de septiembre y colocadas en suelo se recobró 9% de Fusarium spp. + Gliocladium spp., en contraste, ambos hongos aparecieron 40% en larvas obtenidas después de esa fecha. En larvas obtenidas en diciembre y se colocaron en cámara húmeda, Fusarium + Gliocladium spp. aparecieron 80%. Únicamente fue evidentemente a Metarhizium anisopliae como entomopatógenos de 5% de larvas del GBR colocadas en suelo después del 12 de septiembre, éste hongo también fue entomopatógenos del ácaro rojo gigante Trombidium sp., pulgón negro del nogal Melanocallis caryaefoliae, Garrapata Rhipicephalus sanguineus, y hormiga roja Solenopsis sp. Larvas de GBR pueden usarse como trampa para recobrar Metarhizium y probablemente otros hongos entomopatógenos en suelo de huertas de nogal pecanero.    

Emerging or alternative crops are those that have been recently introduced in response to new demands and commercial opportunities. The fig has been introduced as an alternative fruit crop in Mexico due to its high nutritional, nutraceutical, and antioxidant capacity. A total of 644 points of presence were downloaded and filtered according to climatic ranges and agricultural areas, leaving 68 records. The MaxEnt algorithm was used to develop the habitat suitability models for current and future climate. The bioclimatic variables of the global circulation models, Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 2-EarthSystem (HADGEM2-ES) and Max Planck Institute for Meteorology-Earth System Model Low Resolution (MPI-ESM-LR), were used under scenarios 2.6 and 8.5. The changes in the fig area for Mexico were analyzed based on the generated models. Under the current climate, 359,575.76 km2 were estimated for 2050, and a loss of area for the excellent category was estimated for both models and scenarios; however, for the MPI-ESM-LR model projected to 2070, an increase of 5.51% and 0.39% was estimated for scenarios 2.6 and 8.5, respectively. The effect of climate change on agronomic species such as figs will be expressed in variations in climatic ranges and areas suitable for their development. The results of this study reveal the negative and positive effects of climate change on fig habitat suitability in Mexico. The dynamics of changes in surface area will be reflected mainly in northern and central Mexico.

The application of green methods in the synthesis of nanoparticles using plants is a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are of great importance due to their versatile properties. The conditions of synthesis strongly influence the characteristics and functionality of the nanoparticles. The present work studied the biological, green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in the presence of different concentrations of ethanolic extract of Larrea tridentata (10, 20, and 30 mg/mL). The time of the formation of nanoparticles was evaluated at different temperatures and pH values of the reaction medium. The formation of ZnONPs was confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies (FT-IR), as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction analysis (XDR) determined the crystallographic structure of the nanoparticles. Obtained ZnONPs had a size range of 18 to 40 nm. The temperature, reaction time, and pH significantly influenced the nanoparticles’ morphology, size, and aggregation. The impact of chosen ZnONPs was tested on the germination of serrano chili seeds (Capsicum annuum). At 100 ppm, the nanoparticles improved germination percentage, vigor, and seedlings’ growth parameters.

Aims: The effect of a complete NPK matrix on leaf nutrient concentrations and dry biomass of ‘Black Mission’ fig plant organs was tested under an intensive culture system and protected environment. Study Design: A randomized complete block design with four blocks was employed. Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted from April to November 2016 at the Campo Experimental La Laguna, located in Matamoros, Coahuila, Mexico. This research station belongs to the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) of Mexico. The experiment was set up under a macro tunnel equipped with a shade mesh with 50% sunlight attenuation. Methodology: Two-year-old fig plants (cv. ‘Black Mission’) previously propagated from stem cuttings were used. There were three application rates each for N (0, 80, and 160 kg ha-1), P (0, 40 and 80 kg ha-1), and K (0, 80, and 160 kg ha-1) arranged in a balanced factorial matrix of 27 treatments. After harvest, leaf samples were collected to determine nutrient concentrations and they were split into roots, shoots, leaves, and fruit Results: The greatest total dry biomass was produced by the interaction of 80 kg ha-1 N and 40 kg ha-1 P and yielded the following leaf nutrient concentrations (mean ± SD): N 2.9 ± 0.3%, P 0.11 ± 0.01%, K 2.1 ± 0.4%, Ca 1.4 ± 0.7%, Mg 0.34 ± 0.03%, Fe 166.4 ± 49.5 mg kg-1, Cu 6.3 ± 1.7 mg kg-1, Mn 83.3 ± 20.9 mg kg-1, and Zn 22. 6 ± 3.8 mg kg-1. Application of 80 kg ha-1 N and 40 kg ha-1 P could be suggested for commercial fig production. Conclusion: Application of 80 kg ha-1 N and 40 kg ha-1 P could be tested under similar commercial production systems; however, the addition of supplemental K deserves further study.