Search

The cultivation of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in Ecuador is economically important for exports, and the Andean regions provide ideal conditions for high-quality altitude coffee. The objective of this study was to characterize coffeeproducing farms in the Intag region, Ecuador. The study involved a population of 273 coffee farms, from which a sample of 116 producers was obtained. The survey included questions related to socioeconomic and technical aspects. A correspondence analysis using mutual information was conducted in RStudio to verify relationships between categorical variables. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis was performed using a generalized linear model with elastic nets (Machine Learning models) and cross-validation to separate numerical data to determine a logistic regression model. The results show that the coffee farms are mainly organic, organized, and associated, with small-scale farms, lack of technological innovation, and low yields. These farms exhibit a high diversity of crops through agroforestry systems, primarily Musa spp., Manihot esculenta C., and Alnus nepalensis D. alongside coffee. Additionally, livestock production contributes to increased family income and bio-inputs for the farms. The marketing system operates through two associations, one organic and the other conventional, focused on producing specialty coffees for local and international markets. The cluster analysis identified two groups: one with 84 organic farms (69 %) and another with 32 conventional farms (31 %). The first group cultivates Typica (45 %) and Bourbon (55 %), has better agroecosystem management, and uses beneficial microorganisms to combat pests and diseases, resulting in higher market prices due to organic certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The present research is based on the communes of the department of Cruz del Eje, within the arid region of the province of Córdoba (Argentina), in order to describe the different ways in which small units develop their production and social reproduction. Main Objective: To characterize the historical and current scenario in the communes of the department of Cruz del Eje within a regional economy of scarce development (such as that of the arid region of the province of Córdoba), in order to understand the sociocultural practices of people with small productions and some of the public policies carried out in the territory. Method and technique: From a historical-anthropological approach and from a qualiquantitative triangulation (background review; statistical data and field work) the communal scenarios are studied in relation to the prevailing productive model and its impact on socio-territorial development. Results: The communal scenarios present conditions of vulnerability in the face of the advance of the agro-livestock frontier that is occurring in the region and such situation impacts in various ways the access to resources of those who work the small fruit and vegetable units. Conclusion: The study allows postulating that there is an urgent need to produce diagnoses located on the Cruzdelejeño communes in order, on the one hand, to establish priorities in small-scale productive systems according to their cultural practices and, on the other; to analyze the public policies implemented in the territory, taking into account as primordial the indicators of access to irrigation water, and the efficiency in its distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextualization: This research is focused on farmhand production systems in the hillside area of Palmira [Valle del Cauca], characterized by having small productive areas with perennial and short-cycle plants, and livestock systems with minor species. These systems are of great importance for the food security of the population, due to their diverse offer for the regional market. Knowledge gap: Farming systems are highly vulnerable to various external factors, such as market fluctuations and the weather variability that place them at risk. This research was based on the following question: how sustainable are the farming systems in the hillside area of the Municipality of Palmira Valle del Cauca? Purpose: Evaluate the agricultural sustainability of peasant systems in the Ayacucho district of Palmira [Valle del Cauca]. Methodology: Some attributes of thirteen prioritized peasant systems were quantified, using the Natural Resource Management Systems Assessment Framework, and incorporating Sustainability Indicators [MESMIS]. The data obtained from the survey and field visits were analyzed using descriptive and multivariate statistics of main components, using the statistical package R Studio version 3.0.1. Productivity, adaptability, stability, reliability, resilience, equity and self-management attributes were plotted using a radar-type diagram, with an evaluative range of 0-100%. The indicators per attribute were plotted as eigenvectors for the first two main components, establishing their degree of similarity through the accumulated variance. Results and conclusions: stability registered the highest value with 75.15%, indicating strengths in the land ownership and in the water supply in the area for agricultural production. The adaptability and self-management attributes registered the lowest values with 44.90% and 46.15%, respectively, indicating weaknesses such as high dependence on external inputs, technical ignorance about the integration of animal and plant components, as well as low level of associativity. The results obtained, using the MESMIS evaluation, allowed a holistic assessment of the peasant systems in the Arenillo village, and that made possible to identify critical aspects for developing improvements that lead to achieve the sustainability of these farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextualization: The floristic analysis of the components associated with the cocoa crop is considered as a keystone to design relevant agroforestry models. Knowledge gap: In the Pacific Coast of Nariño, traditional agroforestry systems of cocoa have a diversity of secondary species; however, there are few studies that have identified and characterized their economic and environmental benefits. Purpose: The objective of this research was to characterize the woody species existing in traditional cocoa agroforestry systems (Theobroma cacao L) of four community councils: Alto Mira, Bajo Mira, Rio Chagui and Las Varas, in the municipality of Tumaco, Nariño. It was developed within the framework of the project called "Study for the improvement of productivity and sensory quality (aroma and flavor) of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) regional department of Nariño", in which an inventory of the different tree species was made, and the diversity of these systems was determined by means of the Shannon and Simpson index (D). Methodology: 22 sampling plots, of 400 m² each one, were inventoried. Richness, density, basal area, frequency, dominance, abundance, and the index of ecological importance value (IVI) were determined. Finally, diversity was determined using Shannon's and Simpson's indices. Results and conclusions: 150 specimens of woody plants were found in the four councils, concentrated in 27 species. The community council Las Varas had the highest density with 0,014 ind/m²; there, the species with the highest number of individuals per family were Tabebuia rosea, Cedrela odorata y Cordia alliodora. The families that stood out the most for their abundance were Rutaceae, Moraceae, Meliaceae, Annonaceae and Sapotaceae. The species with an outstanding importance due to their value index were Cedrela odorata, Cordia alliodora, Pouteria sapota y Tabeuia rosea. Finally, in the Shannon and Simpson indices there were no significant differences; however, Las Varas council was prominent for its greater diversity of species, due to the different studies of implementation and evaluation of agroforestry arrangements that have been established in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research with graduates of Professional Masters, in the last five years, have shown the importance of these investigations in the reorganization of these programs from the perception of former students. The monitoring program for graduates of the Professional Master's Programs of the Centro Estadual de Educação Tecnológica Paula Souza (CEETEPS) had the general objective of collecting and analyzing data considering the profile and scientific and professional insertion of graduates. Participated 132 of a total of 191 masters trained in the period from 2016 to 2020. Data obtained regarding the personal, professional, and social impact provided by the realization of the courses were promising, but also pointed to the need to encourage the dissemination of the results of dissertations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the adaptation and forage yield of Hordeum vulgare L. and Triticum sp. accessions in the high tropics of Nariño, Colombia. Methods: The study was conducted at the Obonuco Research Center of the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation, Pasto, Nariño. Twenty-six accessions of H. vulgare, 23 of Triticum sp. and one of Avena sativa L. were evaluated under a complete randomized block design with four replicas per treatment. The evaluated variables were: vigor, height, number of leaves, number of stems, pest incidence, disease incidence and severity, nutritional deficiencies, dry matter percentage. A multivariate factorial analysis of mixed data was carried out, followed by a hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward's algorithm. The R V.3.6.0 software was used for the analysis. Results: H. vulgare accessions showed higher leaf production ranging from 65,0 to 123,0; while stems ranged from 13,0 to 25,0; good height and higher dry matter percentage. Triticum sp. accessions had higher leaf production, stems and dry matter yield, with low disease incidence. Conclusions: H. vulgare and Triticum sp. materials were recognized with potential to continue in research programs and which can be an alternative to mitigate the forage seasonality and low quality found during the dry seasons of the high Nariño tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model that represents the behavior of a critical system or process, such as the drinking water treatment process, is vital for the evaluation of new procedures or their optimization without affecting the real system or risking the population, avoiding economic losses. Due to the complexity in the dynamics of drinking water treatment plants, the use of Coloured Petri Nets is recommended to model the behavior of the variables involved in the process. In this context, this work presents a structured procedure that allows to obtain a model considering a dynamic driven by the occurrence of discrete events and that allows the generation of useful information that can later be used to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of new operating strategies. To evaluate this proposal, a model of the drinking water treatment process of Puerto Mallarino located in Cali, Colombia was developed. Modeling, both the stages of the purification process, and the approximate behavior of the variables involved under the assumption that the changes obey only to the intensity of the raining season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antecedentes: el método de espectroscopía de infrarrojo cercano (NIRS), es una alternativa para realizar análisis de suelo, ya que es un método rápido, no destructivo, sencillo y preciso, que relaciona la radiación infrarroja cercana difusamente reflejada con las propiedades físicas y químicas del suelo. Objetivo: desarrollar modelos estadísticos para predecir los parámetros de textura (T) y pH, con el uso de NIRS. Métodos: para ello se utilizaron 1880 muestras de suelos de sistemas de producción del departamento de Antioquia las cuales fueron analizadas por el método de Bouyoucos para T y el método potenciómetro con electrodo de vidrio y suelo para pH. Estas muestras también fueron escaneadas en un equipo NIRS modelo FOSS DS 2500 en un rango de longitud de onda de 850 a 2500 nm. Luego de obtener la información espectral se procedió a realizar el análisis estadístico de mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS) y se aplicaron algunas transformaciones como señal multiplicativa corregida (MSC) la cual fue aplicada a los espectros, mientras que logaritmo y raíz cuadrada fueron aplicadas a las variables. Resultados: para el total de las muestras analizadas los resultados para el parámetro pH fueron positivos, obteniendo un coeficiente de determinación (R2) alto (0,69), siendo el mejor modelo PLS, mientras que para el parámetro textura (arcilla, limo y arena) se obtuvo resultados no favorables debido a que los R2 fueron bajos (de 0,46, 0,44 y 0,21) para arcilla, limo y arena, respectivamente). Conclusiones: se puede predecir con NIRS el pH del suelo, mientras que el parámetro textura requiere de otros modelos más avanzados o de otras técnicas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies main historical changes (1984-2015) in three farming systems: maize (Zea mays L.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and cattle (Bos spp.) in “Francisco Villa I" community, located in the surrounding area of the Biosphere Reserve “La Sepultura(REBISE), Chiapas, Mexico. It was conducted in order to find out entry points for subsequent local innovation processes. A socioanthropological and social innovation approaches were used and an action research methodology for the field work was implemented. Discourse analysis and systemic graphics allowed analyzing all the field evidences. It was demonstrated that through the historical changes analysis there are local conditions to enable and undertake new social innovation processes in order to enhance the community farming systems performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores perceptions about climate change manifestations, their causes and impacts on the daily lives of local social actors in the Technified Rainfed District of Margaritas Comitán, Chiapas (DTT011) located in Chiapas State, in the upper part of the Usumacinta River Basin. This research proposes to argue, based on empirical information, that irrespective of the perception of the concept of climate change, the impact of the variations in the periods of rain and the increase of the heat are observed, interpreted and felt at local level and these variations are having economic consequences, in that way, production systems are affected and crops are lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize poultry farms and self-sufficiency of corn and soybeans, in Tungurahua-Ecuador. Methodology: Interviews were carried out with 90 selected poultry farmers through non-probabilistic sampling, production and export statistics reported by the Association of Balanced Manufacturers (AFABA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAGAP) were used, and Average Rates of Cumulative Variation and self-sufficiency and food dependence were calculated. Results: In Tungurahua, 78% of poultry farmers are engaged in raising poultry and 62% have semi-automated facilities. The 100% of corn and soybean used by the poultry of Tungurahua, comes from other provinces and international imports. Between 2007 and 2016, maize recorded an annual average self-sufficiency rate of 0.9, while soybean yielded 0.08. Limitations: Statistical information on domestic production and imports of grains was scattered. Conclusions: the results indicate the presence of different types of poultry production systems. These, depending on the level of technology, range from crafts to automation. Likewise, the national production reaches to cover with difficulty the national demand of the poultry sector, not the national soy that covers a minimum part. Based on these results it is suggested to maintain the policy of import substitution of yellow maize and to expand soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panela, or unrefined non centrifugal brown sugar, is a natural sweetener obtained from the evaporation and concentration of sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum), essential for food security, agricultural economics and rural development in Latin America. The degree of process efficiency and the marketing evaluation for this product in Colombia is as yet incipient. This study presents the traditional system for panela production, from a technical and engineering perspective, also highlighting some aspects of quality and innovation. Improvements to the traditional furnace design, extraction and milling, clarification, and heat transfer are analyzed. By criteria of competitiveness and efficiency, was evidenced the need to continue the development and transfer of innovative technological alternatives. It is also imperative the participation of the panela producers in new and potential markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arid and semi-arid regions comprise little more than one third of the Earth's surface. In the case of Mexico, arid and semi-arid areas are shaped by close to 854,000 km2 of natural grasslands which are used as rangeland for the breeding of cattle, sheep and goats, activity that has been established as a medium saving and reduction of monetary losses within the subsistence activities of small producers in these areas of the country. The aim of this study was to find differences between the characteristics of breed, weight, age and health in sheep marketed in the Altiplano Oeste Potosino (AOP) observing which of them affect what demanded by brokers when buying and selling within the primary link sheep chain in the region. The information is obtained through a survey applied to 115 sheep breeders. Kruskal Wallis test was used to determine differences between the characteristics demanded by the municipality and X2 test for the type of customer (local/foreign). Using a binary logistic regression model, was determined the probability of demand for each feature. We found not there are differences between the municipalit ies of the region AOP characteristics demanded. Respective characteristics requested by type of buyer, there was only the characteristic age differences (P≤0. 05), being the age requested by a client local the double to the requested by one foreign (6 months). The model binary logistic regression showed a higher probability of demand for breed characteristic (91.7%). The preference was given to the Dorper breed. It is considered that the sale of young animals can be conditioned producer profits, interrupting the aggregation of value by fattening which limits its role in the productive chain of sheep in the region. The investigation revealed that the geography of the region and the origin of the customers do not influence on the demand for the characteristics of sheep herds. An uncompetitive and disintegrated productive chain was observed. Due to the importance of this productive chain in the region, it is feasible to implement strategies that seek economic integration through the use of knowledge and information on the demand for sheep and this element can be shaped into a mechanism of empowerment and a support for technological innovations in local production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to assess the type of producer underlying the socio-economic region XIV Tulijá-Tseltal-Chól in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, a study was made on a regional basis of production systems. Direct interviews with producers (317) of agricultural production units by wandering around the towns of this region are characterized by being formed of ethnic groups of Mayan origin (Tzeltal, Chol and Tsotsiles), with a strong presence of mestizos and European descent. Forty eight (48) variables that were preselected leaving 11 for analysis by multivariate analysis were explored. The results show four types of producers who share productive activities like supplying minerals and animal health campaigns, but different in other aspects such as education. Another shared aspect is the low level of technological development that seems to show the poor promotion of its use that could improve the productive capacity that apparently seems to be limited by the amount of land. It is concluded that the type described is feasible to be used as qualifiers and push forward the resources devoted to underpin regional production must contain differentiated policies and in turn generate appropriate modern technology, real application to geo-ecological conditions region and promoting the use of it to recognize biodiversity and sustainable production as part of development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sought to identify the themes of Operations Management that are currently valued by automotive manufacturers in the creation, use and dissemination of new production concepts. For such, it conducted a content analysis of documents that drive the production systems adopted by the four major manufacturers, with plants in the city of Curitiba. Six themes were seen to stand out: quality management; lean production system; human resource management in operations; production and process management; design, measurement and improvement of work; and measurement of performance and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, livestock systems or production systems are focused on species with the greatest export potential or highest national consumption. These are poultry (meat, eggs, genetics), cattle (milk, meat, genetics), pigs (meat, genetics) and fish. There is also smallerscale production of buffalos, sheep/goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. National standards related to primary production have centered on good practices for cattle, poultry and pigs, and there are currently norms for the slaughter of these animals. The industry for these species is generally well developed, albeit with some gaps in the areas of animal welfare, traceability, and disease control and surveillance systems, food-safety systems and compliance with international standards for exportation. Data from 2012 shows that Colombian livestock production primarily consists of 27 million head of cattle, 25 million birds (chickens/hens), 2.5 million horses, 1.6 million pigs, 1.3 million goats, and 1.1 million sheep, among other animals. This shows an imbalance in the agricultural sector, where there is a clear tendency towards traditional production species. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million head of sheep and goats when the two species are taken together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines tourism in rural areas from a socio - economic organization and rural productive agglomerations point of view. In the conceptual framework of the "sistemas productivos territoriales", this research uses a methodology that combines tools provided by the cluster approach and the social and institutional networks analysis. The conclusions show that the socio - economic organization of tourism in these regions is still characterized by weak links between local players, limiting the scope of public policies that seek local economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This dissertation centers on the evolution of productive systems and the perspective for addressing them. A documentary investigation was designed with a hermeneutic focus that made it possible to explore different concepts about the nature of human work and sketch diverse forms of labor organization from Taylor-Fordism to the Japanese model. Results indicate that the productive systems prevailing at different times were established as a response to paradigmatic conceptions oriented toward improving organizational productivity within the framework of a capitalist development model; the discussion then centers on the changes occurred in labor organization and the adoption of productive paradigms in Latin America. Conclusions indicate that the dynamics of applying the aforementioned productive systems in this part of the American continent have been asymmetric. The need is stated for helping a new paradigm to emerge that is able to reconcile the precedents and promote human work in its correct dimension, both objective and subjective, where the costs implied in the search for greater productivity are justly paid by the involved actors and where the primacy of the human being over the production process is emphasized. To achieve this, it is necessary to once again take up the concept of man as the subject of labor and consequently overcome the antinomy between labor and capital by structuring organization on the substantial, effective priority of labor, the subjectivity of human labor and its efficient participation in the entire production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En esta investigación se estudiaron 18 ríos ubicados en diferentes sistemas productivos en dos cuencas de la zona andina de Colombia: cuenca del río La Vieja-Departamento de Quindío y la cuenca del río Otún -Departamento de Risaralda, con el objetivo de describir la comunidad de macrófitas asociada y su relación con las variables ambientales en este tipo de sistemas lóticos de la zona cafetera colombiana. De las 54 especies encontradas, la mayoría pertenece a las familias Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae y Acanthaceae, extensamente diversificadas y ecológicamente exitosas en el mundo [1]. Los resultados de riqueza de este estudio están dentro del rango esperado para ambientes de piedemonte o montaña, que no son altamente diversos en macrófitas [2], y pueden considerarse bajos cuando se comparan con tierras bajas de zonas templadas y tropicales [3]. Las características fisionómicas y geomorfológicas de los ríos están también asociadas a los usos del suelo en cada una de las cuencas, mientras las partes más altas de la región cafetera, (Río Otún), son menos aptas para el desarrollo de ganadería, las zonas más bajas (La Vieja) si lo son. El tipo de sustrato, la temperatura y la conductividad tienen un efecto importante en la riqueza y la abundancia de las macrófitas y explican significativamente la ordenación de las comunidades. La dominancia del sustrato fino favorece el establecimiento de más especies [4], la mayor temperatura eleva la tasa fotosintética de las plantas y una mayor conductividad está también asociada a una mayor riqueza y abundancia de especies [5]. Estas variables están asociadas en el presente estudio a la cuenca del río La Vieja. La combinación del tipo de sustrato, temperatura y conductividad relacionadas a cada cuenca y uso del suelo, contribuye a explicar las diferencias observadas entre las dos zonas. Los ríos afectados por ganadería tienden a favorecer el desarrollo de comunidades más diversas, con mayor abundancia de plantas. Los ríos de zonas forestales presentaron comunidades menos diversas, con menor abundancia de macrófitas y una mayor frecuencia de especies representativas de ambientes inestables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En esta investigación se estudiaron 18 ríos ubicados en diferentes sistemas productivos en dos cuencas de la zona andina de Colombia: cuenca del río La Vieja-Departamento de Quindío y la cuenca del río Otún -Departamento de Risaralda, con el objetivo de describir la comunidad de macrófitas asociada y su relación con las variables ambientales en este tipo de sistemas lóticos de la zona cafetera colombiana. De las 54 especies encontradas, la mayoría pertenece a las familias Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae y Acanthaceae, extensamente diversificadas y ecológicamente exitosas en el mundo [1]. Los resultados de riqueza de este estudio están dentro del rango esperado para ambientes de piedemonte o montaña, que no son altamente diversos en macrófitas [2], y pueden considerarse bajos cuando se comparan con tierras bajas de zonas templadas y tropicales [3]. Las características fisionómicas y geomorfológicas de los ríos están también asociadas a los usos del suelo en cada una de las cuencas, mientras las partes más altas de la región cafetera, (Río Otún), son menos aptas para el desarrollo de ganadería, las zonas más bajas (La Vieja) si lo son. El tipo de sustrato, la temperatura y la conductividad tienen un efecto importante en la riqueza y la abundancia de las macrófitas y explican significativamente la ordenación de las comunidades. La dominancia del sustrato fino favorece el establecimiento de más especies [4], la mayor temperatura eleva la tasa fotosintética de las plantas y una mayor conductividad está también asociada a una mayor riqueza y abundancia de especies [5]. Estas variables están asociadas en el presente estudio a la cuenca del río La Vieja. La combinación del tipo de sustrato, temperatura y conductividad relacionadas a cada cuenca y uso del suelo, contribuye a explicar las diferencias observadas entre las dos zonas. Los ríos afectados por ganadería tienden a favorecer el desarrollo de comunidades más diversas, con mayor abundancia de plantas. Los ríos de zonas forestales presentaron comunidades menos diversas, con menor abundancia de macrófitas y una mayor frecuencia de especies representativas de ambientes inestables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La chagra hace parte de un trabajo cultural que convoca a toda una comunidad indígena. Uno de los principales objetivos es brindar a la comunidad y compartir la cosecha con las personas de la misma. Es importante tener en cuenta que, para realizar la chagra, es necesario llevar a cabo un proceso que involucra sabiduría y conocimiento. La comunidad indígena ama sembrar plantas medicinales, hortalizas y frutos que son vendidas para la sostenibilidad de su familia, generando en ella la valoración de su territorio y trabajo. El sendero ecológico de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Amazonia, es un espacio creado para la interacción y conocimiento de varios aspectos de la n aturaleza y cultura Amazónica, y por ello la importancia de apreciar todo lo que contiene una chagra y los mecanismos de producción que en ella se suscitan. La “Chagra Renace" tiene como objetivo mostrar la importancia de los valores ancestrales que otorgan a estas poblaciones el carácter de guerreros, por medio de la recuperación y rescate de este espacio, iniciando con la limpieza y adecuación del terreno, y continuando con la siembra de hortalizas, que permita que los y las estudiantes sigan realizando prácticas y enriquezcan sus conocimientos sobre los sistemas productivos de la región. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]