Phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron, sodium, calcium and magnesium, contents and their variability analysis in Cuban maize accessions

[EN] In our country, corn is cultivated since the time of the aborigines and it is a staple food in human nutrition, livestock and poultry; it is the second major cereal and has high preference of consumption by the population. In Cuba, there are six races of maize with a high morphoagronomic diversity, which has been extensively studied; however, diversity and nutritional characteristics of the plant is not known or varieties improved for this purpose have not been introduced. This work was carried out on a sample of 106 accessions, which included materials in situ and ex situ conserved. The aim of the study was to evaluate the degree of variability and morphoagronomic mineral content of these genotypes. The results allowed detect morphoagronomic variability in the accessions; also the phosphorus and calcium content was high while magnesium, potassium and sodium content was low, resulting in intermediate iron and zinc content in related to standards reported in the literature for this crop. The values of these elements in corn grain, are influenced by the concentrations present in soil or spiked through mineral fertilization, which can be variable depending on conditions. Therefore, it is recommended a deeper study on the variability of mineral concentrations elements in maize in Cuba.[ES] En nuestro país, el maíz se cultiva desde la época de los aborígenes y constituye un alimento básico en la nutrición humana, del ganado y las aves; es el segundo cereal de importancia y tiene alta preferencia de consumo por la población. En Cuba, existen seis razas de maíz con una alta diversidad morfoagronómica, la cual ha sido ampliamente estudiada; sin embargo, no se conoce sobre la diversidad y características nutricionales del cultivo, ni se han introducido variedades mejoradas para este fin. El presente trabajo se realizó en una muestra de 106 accesiones, donde se incluyeron accesiones conservadas in situ y ex situ. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el grado de variabilidad morfoagronómica y el contenido de minerales de la colección. Los resultados obtenidos permitieron detectar la existencia de variabilidad morfoagronómica en la muestra; además, se demostró que el contenido de fósforo y calcio fue alto, mientras que el contenido de magnesio, potasio y sodio fue bajo, resultando el de hierro y zinc medio en comparación con los estándares informados en la literatura para este cultivo. Los valores de estos elementos, en el grano de maíz, son influenciados por las concentraciones presentes en el suelo o adicionadas a través de la fertilización mineral, por lo que pueden ser variables dependiendo de dichas condiciones, por tanto, se recomienda realizar un estudio más detallado sobre la variabilidad de las concentraciones de estos elementos en el maíz en Cuba.Martínez Cruz, M.; Ortiz-Pérez, R.; Raigón Jiménez, MD. (2017). Contenido de fósforo, potasio, zinc, hierro, sodio, calcio y magnesio, análisis de su variabilidad en accesiones cubanas de maíz. Cultivos Tropicales (Online). 38(1):92-101. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/104222S9210138

Transforming food systems: a gendered perspective on local agricultural innovation in Cuba

Compared to many countries, Cuba has made significant progress in advancing women's rights and gender equity; however, disparities remain. In the country's rural communities and agricultural sector, women continue to face barriers to equal participation and recognition for the value of their work. This case study shares the story of gender equity efforts that have been conducted within the framework of a broader development project—the Project to Strengthen a System of Innovation in Local Agricultural Development (PIAL, for its initials in Spanish). PIAL began in 2001 as a participatory plant-breeding initiative aimed at increasing the genetic diversity of key crops such as maize and beans. Over the course of two decades, the project's goals expanded to include an emphasis on increasing women's participation. In the beginning, those efforts focused on including women in the participatory plant-breeding activities, which enabled them to prioritize traits they cared about such as grain texture, cooking speed, and taste in the selection process. Over time, the participatory nature of the PIAL methodology empowered women to identify and pursue capacity-building in other areas of local agricultural innovation. While PPB remained central to PIAL, women also chose to pursue opportunities in seed bank management, leadership training, and small-scale farm-based entrepreneurship. The results of the PIAL work on gender have included not just more inclusive plant breeding, but also important economic improvements for rural women as they have been able to diversify their livelihoods, and social change as they have gained confidence and recognition as leaders in their households, communities, and beyond

Análisis molecular de la diversidad genética de frijol común manejada por campesinos en Cuba

Análisis molecular de la diversidad genética de frijol común manejada por campesinos en Cuba. La variación genética de 27 accesiones locales de frijol común colectadas en la comunidad de El Tejar - La Jocuma, provincia Pinar del Río, Cuba, se evaluó utilizando marcadores moleculares RAPD (Polimorfismos de ADN Amplificados al Azar) y caracteres morfológicos y agronómicos. En total se emplearon 15 cebadores RAPD que generaron 31 fragmentos polimórficos de ADN (un promedio de 2,03 fragmentos por cebador). Las distancias genéticas fueron calculadas utilizando el coeficiente de similitud de Sorensen-Dice, y representadas mediante un dendograma (método UPGMA). Se evaluaron una serie de caracteres morfológicos y agronómicos con los que se realizaron análisis multivariados que generaron un clúster (distancias euclidianas) y un análisis de componentes principales. El análisis generado a partir de los marcadores RAPD y de los caracteres morfo agronómicos, reveló que las accesiones estudiadas generaron dos grupos principales que corresponden presumiblemente a los acervos Mesoamericano y Andino, considerando las distancias genéticas entre grupos y las diferencias en determinados caracteres morfológicos y agronómicos

Maize stover in the relationship of maize-growing and cattle raising in the dry tropics of Chiapas, Mexico

An approximation study was conducted using a socio-agricultural approach to determine the current status of maize stover production and use in the Frailesca region of Chiapas. Field work conducted in 2012 consisted of semi-structured interviews to gather information from all stakeholders involved in the maize livestock farming relationship. Three classes of maize-livestock farmers by scale were identified in the region depending on the criteria of crop surface and maize yield. All three classes of farmers were found to be energy efficient, with balances above 9 Mcal produced per Mcal consumed. The primary form of using maize stover at all stages of cattle raising except fattening was direct grazing, due to low yields that make mechanical operations hardly feasible.An approximation study was conducted using a socio-agricultural approach to determine the current status of maize stover production and use in the Frailesca region of Chiapas. Field work conducted in 2012 consisted of semi-structured interviews to gather information from all stakeholders involved in the maizelivestock farming relationship. Three classes of maize-livestock farmers by scale were identified in the region depending on the criteria of crop surface and maize yield. All three classes of farmers were found to be energy efficient, with balances above 9 Mcal produced per Mcal consumed. The primary form of using maize stover at all stages of cattle raising except fattending was direct grazing, due to low yields that make mechanical operations hardly feasible

Efecto estimulante de tratamientos termoterapéuticos en semillas de Glycine max L.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the stimulation of diverse thermotherapeutic treatments, based on dry heat, on seeds of nine cultivars of Glycine max L., at three temperatures and three exposure times. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, of the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences. The effect of the stimulation of diverse thermotherapeutic treatments on the variables germination capacity, germination rate and radicle length was determined at 48, 72 and 96 h after the seeds were put to germinate. Then, the effect on the dry biomass of 100 radicles/treatment at 120 h was found. Variance analysis and Duncan’s multiple range test were performed on the variables for determining differences among their means. Results: The most effective thermotherapeutic treatment for all the variables was the one with five hours of exposure to 50 ºC, which increased the germination rate and capacity, radicle length and dry biomass of 100 radicles compared with the control. The cultivars of the best response to the treatment of 50 ºC during five hours, regarding germination percentage, were INCASoy-24 and INCASoy-27. Regarding radicle length and mass of 100 radicles, the cultivar INCASoy-2 was the best. Conclusions: The thermotherapeutic treatment with dry heat, which was more effective regarding the variables germination rate and capacity, and their vigor-related qualities, was the one with five hours of exposure to 50 ºC, for the nine cultivars used in the study. In the variables radicle length and dry mass of 100 radicles, the positive effect of the pregermination treatment of five hours of exposure to 50 ºC with regards to the control was proven

El garbanzo en el occidente de Cuba: aportes de las ferias de agrodiversidad

Introduction. The Cuban government has attached importance to the national production of chickpea, with the purpose of substituting imports, meeting market demands and contributing to food security and sovereignty. Objective. To present the contributions of the agro-diversity fairs in the selection of new chickpea (Cicer arietinum) genotypes in western Cuba. Materials and methods. The work was developed during the period 2000-2018. The selection of chickpea materials from six nurseries introduced by the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences (INCA) from the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) and nine commercial varieties donated by the Institute for Fundamental Research in Tropical Agriculture (INIFAT) were analyzed. They were planted in three locations in the western region of Cuba. Agro-diversity fairs were held to select the genotypes with the best agricultural production performance. Results. The comparison between the international nurseries did not show significant agro- productive differences between them. The variables with the greatest weight in the agroproductive characterization were: days to maturation, days to flowering, number of branches, plant height, and yield. The largest number of genotypes selected in the agro-diversity fairs corresponded to the Elite International nursery for Latin American. The average yield of the selected materials was above 1.00 t ha-1. Conclusions. The holding of chickpea agro-diversity fairs has provided 17 new materials with suitable productive and culinary behavior and adaptability to the edaphoclimatic conditions of different locations in western Cuba.Introducción. El gobierno cubano, le ha concedido importancia a la producción nacional de garbanzo, con el propósito de sustituir importaciones, satisfacer las demandas del mercado y contribuir a la seguridad y soberanía alimentaria. Objetivo. Presentar los aportes de las ferias de agrodiversidad en la selección de nuevos genotipos de garbanzo (Cicer arietinum) en el occidente de Cuba. Materiales y métodos. El trabajo se desarrolló durante el periodo 2000-2018. Se analizó la selección de materiales de garbanzo de seis viveros introducidos por el Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA) desde el Centro Internacional para Investigaciones Agrícolas en Zonas Áridas (ICARDA) y nueve variedades comerciales donadas por el Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical (INIFAT). Se sembraron en tres localidades de la región occidental de Cuba. Se realizaron ferias de diversidad para efectuar la selección de los genotipos con mejor comportamiento agroproductivo. Resultados. La comparación entre los viveros internacionales no mostró diferencias agroproductivas significativas entre ellos. Las variables de mayor peso en la caracterización agroproductiva fueron: días a maduración, días a floración, número de ramas, altura de las plantas y rendimiento. La mayor cantidad de genotipos seleccionados en las ferias de agrodiversidad correspondieron al vivero Élite Internacional para América Latina. El rendimiento promedio de los materiales seleccionados estuvo por encima de 1,00 t ha-1. Conclusiones. La realización de ferias de agrodiversidad de garbanzo, ha aportado diecisiete nuevos materiales con idóneo comportamiento productivo, culinario y adaptabilidad a las condiciones edafoclimáticas de diferentes localidades del occidente de Cuba

Políticas de educación superior, ciencia, tecnología e innovación y desarrollo territorial: nuevas experiencias, nuevos enfoques

The most recent international debates insist that sustainable and inclusive development demands new approaches from science, technology and innovation policies (STIP), new models of scientific and technological practices, and deep transformations in university policies. In this paper we establish a dialogue between the experiences we have accumulated in Cuba regarding the role of the university in territorial development and the changes in policies that have produced transformations in our country’s economic and social model in the last decade.Os debates internacionais mais recentes insistem que o desenvolvimento sustentável e inclusivo exige novas abordagens às políticas de ciência, tecnologia e inovação (PCTI), novos modelos de práticas científicas e tecnológicas e profundas transformações nas políticas universitárias. Neste artigo estabelecemos um diálogo entre as experiências que estamos acumulando em Cuba em relação ao papel da universidade no desenvolvimento territorial y as mudanças nas políticas que acompanham as transformações da última década no modelo econômico e social do país.Los debates internacionales más recientes insisten en que el desarrollo sostenible e inclusivo demanda nuevos enfoques de políticas de ciencia, tecnología e innovación (PCTI), nuevos modelos de prácticas científicas y tecnológicas y transformaciones profundas en las políticas universitarias. En este artículo establecemos un diálogo entre las experiencias que venimos acumulando en Cuba con relación al papel de la universidad en el desarrollo territorial y los cambios en las políticas que acompañan las transformaciones de la última década en el modelo económico y social del país

Avances del mejoramiento genético participativo del frijol en Cuba

Avances del mejoramiento genético participativo del frijol en Cuba. Las actividades de Fitomejoramiento Participativo fueron conducidas con agricultores del municipio de San Antonio de los Baños de la provincia La Habana y campesinos de la comunidad la Palma de la provincia de Pinar del Río durante 2001 al 2004. En la fase de diagnóstico en las áreas de intervención del proyecto, más del 80 % de los agricultores no utilizaban la semilla del sistema formal; por lo tanto, las variedades obtenidas por los programas de mejoramiento no llegaban a la mayoría de los agricultores. Se buscó un mecanismo alternativo para introducir diversidad genética a las localidades mediante las ferias de diversidad, cuyo objetivo principal ha estado dirigido a facilitar el flujo de semilla de los institutos de investigaciones hacia el agricultor y viceversa. Posterior al desarrollo de las ferias de diversidad se continúa con la experimentación campesina en fincas y cooperativas, desarrollándose una amplia red experimental difícil de lograrse sin la participación de los productores. La experimentación campesina, el aumento de la eficiencia en la finca, incluyendo el aumento del rendimiento de sus parcelas, el aumento de la diversidad por el uso de mayor número de variedades, y una mayor proporción de área dedicada a estas variedades; todo lo cual redunda en un mejoramiento de la vida del campesino y su familia