Scientia Agropecuaria

Biotechnological tools for genetic improvement of Trichoderma

Liliana Villao-Uzho — 2024-04-08

Trichoderma is a cosmopolitan fungus widely distributed around the world. The different uses of this beneficial fungus are varied in several industries, like agriculture, textile, and paper, including the pharmaceutical industry. The genus Trichoderma has other mechanisms of action, including the production of different enzymes and secreted secondary metabolites used in various industries. The genomes of different Trichoderma species have been sequenced to identify the mechanisms for producing several compounds. The advancement of multiple technologies has allowed the development of transformation tools for the genetic improvement of Trichoderma, thus increasing biomass, primary and secondary metabolites, and enzymes. Therefore, genetic modification aims to increase compound production in several Trichoderma strains. Characterization of Trichoderma through gene expression analysis is essential for biotechnology applications. It helps counteract one of the most challenging problems for agriculture today, including climate change and the appearance of pathogens that attack crops with high commercial and food demand. In conclusion, this review analyzes various strategies to improve Trichoderma strains genetically and their multiple applications in the agricultural, textile, paper, and pharmaceutical industries. As a recommendation for future studies with potential impact, the optimization of specific genetic modifications in Trichoderma strains is recommended to improve their adaptability and effectiveness in combating emerging challenges in agriculture, especially those linked to climate change. Investigating possible synergies between genetically modified Trichoderma strains and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices could contribute to developing solutions for crop protection and yield improvement.

Evaluation of soil fertility index in organic, semi-organic, and conventional rice field management systems

Suntoro Suntoro — 2024-03-27

Rice farming in Madiun Regency implements three different management systems, that is organic, semi-organic, and conventional. The different implementation of these rice field management systems impacts soil fertility index and rice productivity. This purpose of this research was to know the effect of rice field management systems on soil fertility index and rice productivity in the Madiun Regency. The research uses an explorative descriptive qualitative method with a survey approach. Soil samples were taken using a random sampling method and 3 types of soil management systems (conventional, semi-organic and organic), and rice production samples were taken using an estimation method. The research results show that the soil fertility index ranges from 0.78 to 0.82, which is high. The highest soil fertility index is in the semi-organic management system and the lowest is in the organic management. The management system of semi-organic gave a response to the highest rice production of 6.89 tons/ha. Management system of semi-organic is a better management for increasing and maintaining soil fertility and crop production than conventional or organic. Farming activities results show that organic management systems increase the highest income, increasing 115.58% and 53.30% in semi-organic compared to conventional. The rice field management system has the effect of increasing the worm population density with the highest in the organic system, namely 4.19 individuals m^-². The Pontoscolex worm type dominates the three management systems. There is a correlation between organic matter content and earthworms.

Identificación del estado fitosanitario de árboles mediante aprendizaje automático e imágenes de muy alta resolución espacial

Juan Carlos Díaz Rivera — 2024-04-08

Las enfermedades de los árboles contribuyen a importantes pérdidas económicas y de alimentos en el sector agrícola. La detección temprana de problemas fitosanitarios en árboles con métodos no destructivos resulta fundamental para garantizar la producción sostenible de naranja. Este trabajo presenta los resultados de una metodología diseñada para la identificación de árboles de naranja enfermos en una huerta ubicada en el cinturón citrícola de México, particularmente en la región de Rioverde, San Luis Potosí. Para ello, se tomaron imágenes con una cámara multiespectral de muy alta resolución espacial instalada en un vehículo aéreo no tripulado con las que se construyó un ortomosaico georreferenciado. Se emplearon seis clases temáticas para identificar los diferentes niveles de sanidad. Se utilizaron diferentes algoritmos de clasificación supervisada a nivel píxel que incluyen Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Support Vector Machine (SVM), y Maximum Likelihood (ML). Considerando la exactitud de clasificación obtenida por cada uno de los algoritmos, se pueden ordenar de la siguiente manera: Maximum Likelihood (ML) con un 88,10%, Support Vector Machine (SVM) con un 77,38%, Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) con un 76,19%, K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) con un 64,68% y Random Forest (RF) con un 61,90%. Los resultados permitieron identificar el estado fitosanitario de todos los árboles de la huerta, con una exactitud aceptable y representan información valiosa de manejo para el productor.

Effective method for simultaneous determination of abscisic acid, 3-indolacetic acid and gibberellic acid in commercial plant biostimulants by capillary electrophoresis with diode array detection

Ivan Chóez-Guaranda — 2024-04-08

Phytohormones, also known as plant hormones, are naturally occurring chemical compounds that regulate various physiological processes in plants. In this work, a capillary electrophoretic coupled to a diode array detector (CE-DAD) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of abscisic acid (ABA), 3-indolacetic acid (IAA), and gibberellic acid (GA3) in commercial plant biostimulants. Sample preparation was carried out by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate. CE separation was performed in a fused-silica capillary and background electrolyte (BGE) consisting of borate buffer (50 mM, pH 9.3) applying a high voltage of 20 kV, a pressure of 50 mbar, and injection time of 35 s. The ABA, IAA, and GA₃were detected at 254, 220 and 195 nm respectively. The CE-DAD method validation results showed acceptable specificity, linearity, accuracy, and precision in the concentration range of 10-100 µg/mL for all compounds according to the (International Conference Harmonisation) ICH guidelines. The proposed method was satisfactory applied to the analysis of cited plant hormones in biostimulants and suggest that sample preparation is a reliable step for extraction of phytohormones containing carboxyl groups. Therefore, the developed and validated method could be implemented as a low-cost and fast analytical tool for quality control purposes.

Xylanase production by Penicillium sp. Pn004 and its application for grass hydrolysis: High value subproduct from non-centrifugal sugarcane bagasse and wheat bran

Anny Daniela Martínez — 2024-04-08

Worldwide more than 7 billion tons of lignocellulosic biomass will be produced by 2025. In Colombia, these residues are mainly disposed of in rivers and open fields, and only 10% is reused and recycled. Non-centrifugal sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is a residue obtained after sugarcane juice extraction during the manufacturing process of panela and is mostly used as fuel for boilers at sugar mills. Wheat bran (WB) is the main waste from wheat flour production. Nonetheless, the chemical composition of these by-products makes them suitable for use as substrates for hemicellulolytic enzyme production from fungi. Here, a whole process for production in a solid-state fermentation system, recovery, and ultrafiltration process for concentration of xylanases by Penicillium sp. Pn004 is presented. The higher productivity (26.7 ± 1.59 U gds^-1 day-1) was reached on the fifth day of fermentation with an enzyme activity of 130.0 ± 7.95 U gds^-1. The batch ultrafiltration process allowed increasing the xylanase activity up to 19-fold in the retentate, from 66.47 U mL^-1 to 1486.83 U mL^-1, without reaching a steady state flux through the membrane. Finally, the enzymatic extract achieved a 43% release of sugar from kikuyu grass (Cenchrus clandestinus), showing its potential to be used as an additive for silage or for enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic materials for sugar production.

Ajuste osmótico y rendimiento de dos variedades de palta (Persea americana), Hass y Fuerte, con sistema de riego por goteo, en zona andina del Perú

Juan Quispe-Rodriguez — 2024-04-23

El cultivo de palta (Persea americana) no solo es esencial desde el punto de vista económico, sino que también desempeña un papel crucial en la alimentación, la salud y el bienestar de las poblaciones en todo el mundo. El estudio se realizó en Ayacucho-Perú (latitud: 12° 53’ 57’’ S, longitud: 74° 16’ 55’’ O y altitud: 2596 msnm), con el objetivo de evaluar el efecto de la utilización del sistema de riego tecnificado por goteo en la producción y rendimiento de dos variedades de palta, Hass y Fuerte. El estudio estuvo basado en el uso de un sistema de riego con programación por tratamiento con plantas de palta instaladas en parcelas de 500 m² en 6 sectores, con una densidad de 5 x 5 m, cuya edad estuvo entre 5 a 16 años, de las cuales se consideró 12 plantas (6 plantas con riego por goteo y 6 plantas como testigo con riego por gravedad). Los riegos se efectuaron justo en la etapa de floración y producción garantizando el suministro de agua adecuado en periodos de déficit hídrico, entre febrero a junio de 2022. La cosecha realizada reporto rendimientos 67,96 ± 8,8 t/ha bajo riego tecnificado y de 26,42 ± 4,93 t/ha en riego por gravedad, siendo un incremento del 157% con respecto a este último. En cuanto a las variedades, la palta Fuerte tuvo el mayor rendimiento 49,38 ± 23,06 t/ha con respecto a la variedad Hass (45,0 ± 21,14 t/ha), el rendimiento máximo se dio con riego por goteo para a variedad Fuerte (71,09 ± 8,38 t/ha), esto es explicado por el gasto de energía en el potencial de ajuste osmótico la cual disminuye drásticamente el potencial de rendimiento con riego tradicional por gravedad, obteniendo un rendimiento mínimo en Hass de 25,18 ± 4,44 t/ha.

Contaminação fúngica da cannabis medicinal: Avaliação bibliométrica, tendências e perspectivas futuras

Paola Alzate — 2024-04-23

A contaminação fúngica é um problema importante na produção da cannabis e cannabis medicinal, pois os fungos podem produzir compostos tóxicos ou reduzir a qualidade e a segurança do produto. O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma avaliação bibliométrica relacionada à contaminação fúngica na cannabis, analisando as tendências atuais nesse campo e fornecendo perspectivas futuras para a pesquisa. Para isso, foi realizada uma busca exaustiva na literatura científica em bases de dados eletrônicas como Scopus e Web of Science (WOS), abrangendo o período de 2000 a 2023. Os resultados obtidos foram processados por meio de bibliometria e análise de redes, utilizando ferramentas como o software RStudio e Bibliometrix. Os resultados revelaram que os principais temas associados à contaminação fúngica na cannabis estão focados em: doenças relacionadas à contaminação fúngica da planta, uso de fungos como alternativa de controle biológico no cultivo da cannabis, metabólitos associados à cannabis e seu potencial no controle de fungos, bem como a diversidade fúngica no cultivo e pós-colheita da cannabis e o risco à saúde dos consumidores. Por último, são sugeridas futuras áreas de pesquisa para enfrentar o desafio da contaminação fúngica na produção de cannabis medicinal, abordando temas como controle de pragas, contaminação, resistência genética, compostos ativos, métodos de análise e impacto dos fungos na cannabis.

Sensory and consumer science as a valuable tool to the development of quinoa-based food products: More than three decades of scientific evidence

Karina Eduardo — 2024-04-23

Solutions are needed to address both hunger and the promotion of healthy and sustainable diets. Quinoa, a nutritious and sustainable Andean grain, is a versatile option for creating new foods. Over the years, several technological advancements have been made to include quinoa in various food products. However, there is still a need for solid scientific evidence on the impact of quinoa on the product's acceptance. To address this scientific knowledge gap, this work aims to analyze the scientific literature over the last three decades regarding the sensory and hedonic impact of adding quinoa to food products. To do so, bibliometric methods based on the Scopus and Annual Scientific Production databases were used. After selecting and screening using the PRISMA method, seventy-four articles from 1991 to 2024 were analyzed, identifying relationships between keywords in the analyzed studies, forming a co-occurrence and co-authorship network. Results showed that quinoa has great nutritional potential when added to different food products, but its instrumental and sensory properties are modified. The nine-point hedonic scale was used to measure product acceptability in 47% of the articles. Studies on bakery products have shown that increasing the concentration of quinoa in the product formulation decreases the acceptance of the final product in 67% of cases. It is recommended to include consumer demands from a sensory and hedonic perspective when developing new products. The scientific and industrial community is encouraged to develop new food products catering to a broader consumer range.