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The cacao belongs to most important agricultural crops worldwide, in recent decades facing increasing demand as well as falling production capacity. The dramatically fall of production of cacao in Mexican agriculture, where it was first domesticated, is becoming a serious concern for diversity of local production, as local producers are substituting cacao plantations with more rentable crops thus giving away a rich genetic as well as agricultural legacy that could under adequate conditions provide a source of income for large region while maintaining the natural diversity. The paper tries to find the answer in studying the social capital of cacao producers of Tabasco region, coming to the conclusion that it is collective action and social capital led production set of practices that is crucial for the re-installment and prosperity of the plantations, rather than a single motive such as the recent invasion of Moniliophthora roreri fungus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of arsenic (As) in soils allows migration to crops like chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). In this paper we compare contents of As in three soils of two states of the Mexican Republic, and its accumulation in C. arietinum L. The soils were moderately alkaline, non-saline, intermediate gearboxes and zeta potential (pZ) indicating moderately stable colloidal suspensions. With moderate moisture content and clay-loam textures, bulk density, field capacity, stable aggregates and cation exchange capacity, significantly different and similar infiltration rate and thickness of horizon A. Organic matter, carbon and nitrogen are significantly different and low content. There are important differences between seeds of C. arietinum L. certified or not in their ability to germinate and root development. The genotoxic effects of As in roots of C. arietinum L. appreciated by induction of micronucleus, 2.8- fold reduction of cell division in water samples treated with As, regarding control samples. As was observed increase of 9.5 times in seedlings germinated in soil El Salitre, that in Bella Vista soil, indicative of migration As. The sum effect of concentration of As in soil and water is increased 15.3 times. Among soils Bella Vista and Querétaro, the correlation was 2.9 times greater. In positive controls the IBAs are three times higher than in the experimental tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]