Ilse Alejandra Huerta-Arredondo

Phytophthora infestans es el agente causal del tizón tardío, una enfermedad que causa grandes devastaciones en cultivos de papa y tomate a nivel mundial. En este estudio se evaluó la sensibilidad de cuatro aislados (Am1, Am3, Cvg y Ado) de P. infestans frente a tres fungicidas (metalaxil-M, clorotalonil, fluazinam) mediante pruebas in vitro; y de dos aislados (Cvg y Ado) frente a dos fungicidas (metalaxil-M y clorotalonil) en una prueba preliminar in vivo. Para el ensayo in vitro se utilizó medio de cultivo agar de chícharo suplementado con diferentes dosis de los fungicidas (0, 5 y 100 ppm) y se evaluó el porcentaje de inhibición del crecimiento micelial del oomiceto. Los resultados se analizaron mediante la prueba estadística ANOVA. En las pruebas in vivo, se observó el desarrollo síntomas de dos aislados en rodajas de tubérculo de papa tratadas con los fungicidas metalaxil-M y clorotalonil a dosis de 0, 5 y 100 ppm. Se analizaron los síntomas mediante una escala de severidad visual. En la evaluación in vitro, se encontró que con metalaxil M se logró el mayor porcentaje de inhibición en 3 de los 4 aislados (Am1, Am3 y Cvg), incluso a baja concentración (5 ppm). Clorotalonil fue más efectivo en el aislado Ado. Similarmente, fluazinam inhibió con mayor eficacia al aislado Ado. Se advierte un posible desarrollo de resistencia del aislado Ado al metalaxil-M y de los aislados Am1, Am3 y Cvg al clorotalonil y fluazinam. En la prueba preliminar in vivo, los resultados no fueron muy consistentes. Por lo que, se sugiere continuar las evaluaciones aumentando repeticiones y asegurando la sanidad de los tubérculos. Concluimos que aislados provenientes del mismo cultivo (tomate) en la misma región (Guanajuato), presentan respuestas variables a los ingredientes activos evaluados.

Integrated agricultural water management (IAWM) encompasses multiple factors, necessitating the evaluation of performance across programs and involved entities and local consideration in different regions. This study analyzes the relation of allocation budgets and government agency programs in relation to the average annual availability of groundwater in Guanajuato State. Documentary investigation was conducted on public programs, aquifer availability, and agricultural land types over the period from 2017 to 2023. In the last six years, the amounts allocated to government programs from subsidies and donations have increased by 40%, leading to enhanced agricultural productivity in the state. Considering the agricultural types (rain-fed, irrigated, and protected) as separate variables, simple linear regression explains 97.8% of the variability in the DMA, indicating a decrease of 78.2 million m³ and an increase in irrigated agriculture. The estimator for the budget allocated to public programs is −2.21 × 10⁻⁷, indicating that even if the resources allocated to government programs related to the use and exploitation of water in the agricultural sector increase, the DMA will continue to decrease. Regarding the agriculture area type, the estimator has a value of −0.00237, indicating that each rain-fed or irrigated agriculture unit established would result in an approximate reduction of 2370 m³ of water in the DMA. Taking this into account, it is imperative to formulate strategies that consider intersectoral links, with a focus on prioritizing essential actions in rain-fed areas for water capture and/or irrigated agricultural areas for food production, which comprise 52% of the total land dedicated to the agricultural sector, and specifically targeting actions that promote groundwater management.

RESUMEN. Este es el primer reporte de cuatro especies de Sesiidae (Lepidoptera) en el estado de Guanajuato: Parenthrene tabaniformis barrenando tronco de Populus tremuloides (Salicaceae); Podosesia syringae en rama de Fraxinus americana (Oleaceae); Melittia calabaza obtenida de larva barrenando tallo de Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae) y Synanthedon decipiens barrenando agalla de Gelechiidae en árboles de Pithecellobium dulce (Fabaceae).

Latinx/Hispanic farmers are an underrepresented group with the largest number of farm operators in the US. However, agricultural educators have encountered challenges in identifying Latinx farmers in Pennsylvania and consequently, in meeting their needs. This study aims to contribute to improved agricultural programming by offering an exploratory overview of Latinx farmers in the Commonwealth, and to bring to light the experiences of Extension educators when working with Latinxs in the agricultural context. Qualitative research interviews were conducted with seventeen Latinxs at different stages of their farming journey, and with twelve educators with experience in agriculture programming and outreach to Latinxs. Latinx farmers discussed the characteristics, goals, challenges, and solutions of their farming operations. Educators discussed their motivations to serve Latinx farmers, the challenges they face in meeting their needs, and the implementation of targeted strategies for successful programming. Both groups discussed challenges they believe Latinx farmers face due to their ethnicity and provided recommendations to better serve the Latinx farming population. Based on the findings, agricultural educators could support Latinx farmers by developing statewide programming, including programming in Spanish, having employers allocate a percentage of educators’ responsibilities to connecting with this audience, creating a Latinx farmers’ network, partnering with organizations connected with Latinx farmers, participating in cultural competency training, and promoting stories of success. Our methodology and findings can be adapted to educators in other locations working with minority populations.

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797), is a polyphagous, voracious, and economically important agricultural pest. Biological control of FAW is a strategy that must be further explored. This study evaluated six baculovirus strains isolated from infected FAW larvae from Mexico, Argentina, Honduras, and the United States. Five alphabaculoviruses (SfNPV-An₂, SfNPV-Arg, SfNPV-Fx, SfNPV-Ho, and SfNPV-Sin) and one betabaculovirus (SfGV-RV) were tested against FAW larvae, showing a wide diversity of virulence levels among strains when their estimated LC₅₀s were compared, being SfNPV-Arg, SfNPV-Ho and SfNPV-Fx more virulent than SfNPV-An₂, SfNPV-Sin, and SfGV-RV. To determine any virulence difference in vitro studies of these isolates, Sf9 cell cultures were used. Interestingly, only ODVs from four of the test SfNPV strains showed infectivity on Sf9 cell cultures, and some differences in virulence were observed. Genomic restriction analyses and partial sequences of lef-8, lef-9, and polh/granulin genes showed little variability among alphabaculoviruses, both, among them and with previously reported sequences. However, sequences from SfGV-RV were closer to previously reported sequences from the SfGV-VG008 strain than the SfGV-Arg and SfGV-VG014 strains. The great difference in the in vivo virulence was not correlated with great similarity among the isolates. The characterization of these six baculovirus isolates offers the basis for exploring their potential as biological control agents against S. frugiperda, as well the initial studies on their specific infection mechanisms, evolution, and ecology.

The purposes of this study were to analyze Latino/a immigrant mushroom workers’ perceptions of how the workplace environment shapes occupational safety and health, examine whether and how those perceptions differ by gender, and identify future areas for research on occupational safety and health in the mushroom industry. Researchers conducted structured interviews with 15 women and 45 men on 6 Pennsylvania mushroom farms to obtain their descriptions and perspectives of safety and health risk factors in their workplaces. Approximately one third of respondents had suffered an injury at work, and nearly half felt that there are workplace factors that affect their health and safety. The study found that Latino/a mushroom farmworkers perceive risks that are posed by the indoor infrastructure of mushroom production houses, including poorly maintained wooden walkways and cool indoor temperatures, and by the organization of mushroom production work, including the application of chemicals including pesticides, physical demands of the job, use of small knives, contact with compost, and the piece rate payment system. Workers commonly discussed back pain and believed it was associated with the organization of work. Women in the sample were more likely to be concerned about slips and falls than men and less likely to be concerned about aches and pains. Mushroom farm infrastructure and the specific demands of the jobs pose occupational safety and health risks to Latino/a farmworkers that merit further study to develop adequate public health interventions. Future research should obtain gender-disaggregated objective reports of injury, aches and pains, and discomfort and test for relationships between these reports and the indoor infrastructure and conditions of mushroom production work.