Replacing commercial concentrate with mulberry foliage was evaluated in a feeding trial lasting 126 days. Forty-eight weaned male Pelibuey lambs (20.6 ± 0.80 kg of BW) were randomly allocated to four groups: (1) supplementing the basal diet with mulberry at 1% (DM basis; M-1), (2) mulberry at 0.75% plus 0.1 kg concentrate fresh matter basis (M-0.75), (3) mulberry at 0.50% plus 0.2 kg concentrate (M-0.50) and (4) basal diet plus 0.3 kg concentrate (control; M-0). During the first 90 days, the basal diet was Pennisetum purpureum forage which was substituted by a mixture of guinea grass and sugarcane from 90 days. Average daily gain (ADG, g/day), dry matter intake (DMI) and feed conversion rate (FCR; DMI/ADG) were determined. The ADG was affected (P < 0.01) by the diet, with the lowest obtained in M-1 lambs (71 ± 6.4 g/day), whereas no differences among the other groups were observed (94 ± 6.4 g DM/lamb). The DMI was higher (P < 0.01) in M-0 (937 g DM/lamb) which concomitantly affected differences in FCR (11.9, 9.9, 10.5 and 9.7 kg DMI/kg BW gain for M-1, M-0.75, M-0.50 and M-0 lambs, respectively). Final BW at slaughtering and hot or cold carcass yields were coherent with growth rate findings. Biological yield (cold carcass weight/empty BW) was higher (P < 0.01) in M-0.75. Without compromising animal productivity, replacing imported concentrate with mulberry reduced the feeding cost. Optimum results were obtained with M-75 diet. Further studies must be conducted for optimizing energy/protein ratios with different ingredients while increasing DMI and lamb growth rates in this tropical genotype.

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The chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) constitute a legume widely appreciated by the Cuban population. In the last ten years efforts have been made to introduce it in agricultural production by adapted cultivars according to the condition of Cuban soil and climate; obtaining good results. Nevertheless, the actual genetic bases its not very bread and it is necessary to continue evaluating new varieties as to answer to biotic and abiotic limitation of the crop. A trial has been conducted to evaluate the behavior of 19 varieties and lines under the Cuban conditions. Nine variables have been described which allow, from the agronomic point of view, to characterize the varieties. The variables studied were: plant height, number of primary branches, pods per plant, 100 seeds’ weight, seed yield per plant, seed yield per area, percentage of Heliothis virescens incidence, percentage of seed protein and number of empty pods per plant. An Principal Components Analysis has been made using a standardize matrix. The three first components permitted to describe a 64.3% of total variation and the variables which more contributed to the description were: seed yield per area, seed yield per plant and the percentage of Heliothis incidence. The varieties of higher yield were distributed in two groups. One group characterized by a lower protein content under 20% represented by Nacional- 5HA cultivar (2190 kg/ha) and the other group with higher protein content over 20% represented by Nacional-29 cultivar (2357.14 kg/ha).

La gestión de los recursos humanos (RR.HH.), constituye un sistema que tiene como condición esencial concebir al hombre dentro de la organización como un recurso que hay que optimizar a partir de un concepto renovado, dinámico y competitivo, en el que se oriente y afirme una efectiva interacción entre lo social y lo económico. Partiendo de este concepto, surge la presente investigación con el objetivo, fundamental, de determinar las causas que originan baja satisfacción laboral en la Delegación Provincial del Ministerio de la Agricultura en Santiago de Cuba, y así propiciar un comportamiento favorable en la conducta de sus trabajadores. Para ello se empleó la metodología del Modelo de Cambio Planeado de Kurt Lewin, así como métodos empíricos tales como el análisis documental y bibliográfico, la consulta a expertos y la observación participante, que permitieron la realización de un diagnóstico de la situación real que posee la organización para determinar las posibles soluciones y los gestores del cambio que se proyecta, en aras de ganar en efectividad en el desarrollo de los planes de acción. Como resultado se evaluó la satisfacción laboral, proponiendo un plan de acción de cambio en la Delegación Provincial de la Agricultura en Santiago de Cuba, que favorezca la satisfacción laboral.

When used separately, anti-parasitic efficacy of nutrient (MP) supplementation and bioactive forage consumption is usually considerably lower than what can be achieved through the use of pharmaceuticals, although it has been argued that the latter may not necessarily be required nor desired. It might be therefore beneficial to combine these strategies to control parasites to a greater extent than possible when they are used in isolation. This is because nutrient supplementation and PSM consumption affect differently components of parasite life cycle (epidemiology) and benefit hosts differently at different productive stages (e.g. growing vs. lactating small ruminants). This principle has just been applied in temperate systems of production with greatly promising consequences. The strategy used was the supplementation of ewes with MP and the supply of chicory as forage to their lambs, and resulted in substantially reducing the antiparasitic drug input into the system than was achieved by using either of the two strategies on its own. The issue is whether the principles developed above could be applied to control parasites in small ruminant systems of production in the tropics, especially because the option of nutrient supplementation might not always be available. When devising such nutritional strategies one should take into account the availability of local resources on the one hand and both the antiparasitic and anti-nutritional properties of local forages on the other. Only then alternative strategies can be implemented and incorporated into local systems of production with a high degree of success. The final part of this paper will concentrate on this issue.