Comportamiento del crecimiento, desarrollo y rendimiento del nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) en asocio con seis culltivos prehispánicos, Jardín Botánico, Apompuá, Carazo, 2013

El nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica L),pertenece a la familia de las cactáceas, sobrevive en zonas áridas o semiáridas. En Nicaragua la producción como planta de cultivo es incipiente, pero puede representar una alternativa para la dieta alimenticia tanto para humanos como animales, es importante por ser fuente de alimento a bajo costo, las bondades radican en la diversidad de utilidades que posee tanto por su valor nutritivo como por la adaptabilidad en las zonas del trópico seco de nuestro país. Este ensayo se estableció en el Jardín Botánico de la Asociación del Desarrollo Comunitario del Departamento de Carazo (ADECA), ubicado en la comunidad de Apompuá del municipio de Diriamba - Carazo kilómetro 40 carretera La Boquita-Casares, durante el período de Julio 2013 a Febrero 2014. Se utilizó un Bloque Completo al Azar (BCA), con cuatro repeticiones y seis tratamientos: pipián Cuarenteño (Cucurbita angyrosperma Huber), amaranto (Amaranthus caudatus L.), frijol blanco (Phaseolus cutifolius Gray), chan (Hyptis suaveolens L. Poit), batata o camote ( Ipomea batatas L. ) & yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz), para evaluar con cuál de estos cultivos asociados tiene mejor rendimiento el nopal. El análisis de los datos obtenidos del estudio de nopal reflejan que obtuvo una sobrevivencia del 100 %, el mejor rendimiento 8285 kg ha -1 en el asocio con frijol blanco (T3), con respecto al comp ortamiento de los cultivos prehispánicos pipián Cuarenteño, amaranto, batata & yuca (T1,T2, T5 y T6) no llegaron a cosecha por no tolerar las condiciones climáticas de la zona, a excepción del frijol blanco y chan(T3 y T4), que completaron su ciclo biológico y obtuvieron una productividad en el asocio de 250 y 54% respectivamente. Palabras claves: zonas secas, alternativas de producción, cultivos precolombinos.

Comportamiento de nopal (Opuntia ficusindica L.) en asocio con seis cultivos prehispánicos, Ecolotes Ave Maria, Las Esquinas, Carazo 2013

El nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica L.), familia de las Cactáceas, es originario de América. Es una planta que se adapta muy bien en diferentes condiciones climáticas, se desarrolla exitosamente en zonas donde llueve muy poco; también tiene una gran importancia por sus diferentes usos que se le conocen. Para conocer de su comportamiento como cultivo asociado, se estableció un ensayo en la finca Ecolote Ave María, ubicada en Las Esquinas, Carazo, en el km 37 ½ carretera Managua – San Marcos, Carazo, en la época de primera 2013. Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completos al azar (BCA), con cuatro repeticiones y seis tratamientos: pipián cuarenteño (Cucúrbita angyrosperma J. C. Huber), amaranto (Amaranthus caudatus L.), chan (Hyptis suaveolens L.), frijol blanco (Phaseolus acutifolius, Gray), yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) y batata (Ipomoea batata L.), con el objetivo de conocer con cuál de estos cultivos en asocio se obtienen mejores rendimientos de cladodios de nopal. El análisis de los datos obtenidos del estudio reflejan que se obtuvo una supervivencia del 100 % en todo los tratamientos, el mejor número de brotes por planta fue de 2, el mejor ancho de cladodios (3.63 cm) y el mejor rendimiento fue de (2 386.5 kg/ha), en asocio con amaranto; el mejor largo de cladodios (7.65 cm) fue con el cultivo de Yuca, respecto al comportamiento de los cultivos prehispánicos, batata con una altura de 172.8 cm ha sido el más exitoso, seguido por el chan con 131.42 cm de largo de guía y la yuca con 111.3 cm de altura, los cultivos de amaranto, frijol blanco y pipián cuarenteño no lograron adaptarse a las condiciones climáticas del ensayo.

Effect of organic synthetic food colours on mitochondrial respiration

Eleven organic synthetic dyes, currently or formerly used as food colours in Brazil, were tested to determine their effect on mitochondrial respiration in mitochondria isolated from rat liver and kidney. The compounds tested were: Erythrosine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, Sunset yellow, Tartrazine, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Indigotine Blue, Fast Red E, Orange GGN and Scarlet GN. All food colours tested inhibited mitochondrial respiration (State III respiration, uncoupled) supported either by α-ketoglutarate or succinate. this inhibition varied largely, e.g. from 100% to 16% for Erythrosine and Tartrazine respectively, at a concentration of 0.1 mg food colour per mitochondrial protein. Both rat liver and kidney mitochondria showed similar patterns of inhibition among the food colours tested. This effect was dose related and the concentration to give 50% inhibition was determined for some of the dyes. The xanthene dye Erythrosine, which showed the strongest effect, was selected for further investigation on mitochondria in vivo.

Osmotic Stress Induces Expression of Choline Monooxygenase in Sugar Beet and Amaranth1

Choline monooxygenase (CMO) catalyzes the committing step in the synthesis of glycine betaine, an osmoprotectant accumulated by many plants in response to salinity and drought. To investigate how these stresses affect CMO expression, a spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., Chenopodiaceae) probe was used to isolate CMO cDNAs from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L., Chenopodiaceae), a salt- and drought-tolerant crop. The deduced beet CMO amino acid sequence comprised a transit peptide and a 381-residue mature peptide that was 84% identical (97% similar) to that of spinach and that showed the same consensus motif for coordinating a Rieske-type [2Fe-2S] cluster. A mononuclear Fe-binding motif was also present. When water was withheld, leaf relative water content declined to 59% and the levels of CMO mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity rose 3- to 5-fold; rewatering reversed these changes. After gradual salinization (NaCl:CaCl2 = 5.7:1, mol/mol), CMO mRNA, protein, and enzyme levels in leaves increased 3- to 7-fold at 400 mm salt, and returned to uninduced levels when salt was removed. Beet roots also expressed CMO, most strongly when salinized. Salt-inducible CMO mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity were readily detected in leaves of Amaranthus caudatus L. (Amaranthaceae). These data show that CMO most probably has a mononuclear Fe center, is inducibly expressed in roots as well as in leaves of Chenopodiaceae, and is not unique to this family.

Comparison of properties of native and extruded amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L. - BRS Alegria) flour

The aim of this study was to compare some of the properties of native and extruded amaranth flour obtained under mild and severe extrusion conditions. The chemical composition of the flours was similar. Flours obtained by both extrusion processes presented high solubility in water, low values of L* (luminosity) and an absence of endothermic peak on the DSC method. Water absorption, retrogradation tendency, final viscosity and the viscous behavior by rheology analysis were also studied. The results indicate that extruded flours have a good potential as an ingredient for food exposed to heat treatment at a high temperature and mechanical shear, for use in instant meal products. On the other hand, original flour properties are comparable to those of amaranth starch, which exhibits similarly high quality paste stability, low solubility in water, and elastic behavior, and could be used as a substitute for raw flour in a range of food formulas. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of host defence elicitors on betacyanin accumulation in Amaranthus mangostanus seedlings

The effect of elicitors associated with host defence on betacyanin accumulation in Amaranthus mangostanus seedlings was investigated. Under the conditions of the experiments, betacyanin accumulation was generally enhanced by light. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment increased betacyanin synthesis in a concentration-dependent response. Seedlings treated with ethylene as 5 mM Ethephon also had elevated levels of betacyanin. In contrast. salicylic acid (SA) and H2O2 treatments had no influence on betacyanin contents in light or dark. Combined MeJA with Ethephon or H2O2 had an additive effect on betacyanin accumulation in dark-grown seedlings. However, a decline was recorded in light-grown seedlings. Moreover, an antagonistic effect on betacyanin synthesis was found when MeJA and SA were added simultaneously. Our results indicate that betacyanin content in A. mangostanus seedlings can be upregulated by MeJA and ethylene. Both additive and antagonistic effects in regulating betacyanin synthesis in A. mangostanus seedlings were observed between MeJA and other elicitors. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Absorption, translocation and metabolism of fluchloralin in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and pigweed (Amaranthus viridis)

Root absorption and translocation of [C-14]fluchloralin were determined in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cv. TMV-2 and pigweed (Amaranthus viridis L.) grown in nutrient solution culture under greenhouse conditions. Root-applied fluchloralin toxicity to groundnut and pigweed was also examined. A growth reduction of 50% occurred in groundnut that received fluchloralin at a concentration of 9.0 mum. Root absorption was similar for both groundnut and pigweed at one day after application (DAA), but groundnut absorbed about twice the amount of fluchloralin during 4 and 8 days of continuous application, compared with pigweed. Groundnut absorbed 25% of the total applied fluchloralin after 8 days. Translocation to leaves from treated roots was low and roots of groundnut contained 80% of the total absorbed C-14, 8 DAA. Contrary to the observations in groundnut, transport from the roots and leaves following root application in pigweed was rapid: 1 and 8 DAA, leaves of pigweed contained 45 and 70% of the total absorbed C-14, respectively. Different patterns of fluchloralin metabolism were observed in pigweed and groundnut. Pigweed metabolized most of the fluchloralin absorbed by roots. The fluchloralin tolerance of pigweed could partially be accounted for by absorption, translocation and metabolism.

Estudos citotaxonómicos em Amaranthus de Portugal

En el presente trabajo se estudian cariológicamente  8 taxones del género Amaranthus L.

Interactions of onion (Allium cepa) and yellow wax bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in monoculture and intercropping with weeds, Chenopodium album and Amaranthus hybridus

Intercropping systems are seen as advantageous as they can provide higher crop yield and diversity along with fewer issues related to pests and weeds than monocultures. However, plant interactions in intercropped crop species and between crops and weeds in these systems are still not well understood. The main objective of this study was to investigate interactions between onion (Allium cepa) and yellow wax bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in monocultures and intercropping with and without the presence of a weed species, either Chenopodium album or Amaranthus hybridus. Another objective of this study was to compare morphological traits of C. album from two different populations (conventional vs. organic farms). Using a factorial randomized block design, both crop species were planted either in monoculture or intercropped with or without the presence of one of the two weeds. The results showed that intercropping onion with yellow wax bean increased the growth of onion but decreased the growth of yellow wax bean when compared to monocultures. The relative yield total (RYT) value was 1.3. Individual aboveground dry weight of both weed species under intercropping was reduced about 5 times when compared to the control. The poor growth of weeds in intercropping might suggest that crop diversification can help resist weed infestations. A common garden experiment indicated that C. album plants from the conventional farm had larger leaf area and were taller than those from the organic farm. This might be associated with specific evolutionary adaptation of weeds to different farming practices. These findings contribute to the fundamental knowledge of crop-crop interactions, crop-weed competition and adaptation of weeds to various conditions. They provide insights for the management of diversified cropping systems and integrated weed management as practices in sustainable agriculture.

Contribuciones tecnológicas preliminares para la producción de grano y forraje de Amaranto Amaranthus spp. en el Norte y Noreste de México

[Tesis] ( Doctor en Ciencias Agrícolas con Orientación en Mejoramiento de Plantas) U.A.N.L.

Effects of processing methods on amaranth starch digestibility and predicted glycemic index

Amaranth has attracted a great deal of interest in recent decades due to its valuable nutritional, functional, and agricultural characteristics. Amaranth seeds can be cooked, popped, roasted, flaked, or extruded for consumption. This study compared the in vitro starch digestibility of processed amaranth seeds to that of white bread. Raw seeds yielded rapidly digestible starch content (RDS) of 30.7% db and predicted glycemic index (pGI) of 87.2, the lowest among the studied products. Cooked, extruded, and popped amaranth seeds had starch digestibility similar to that of white bread (92.4, 91.2, and 101.3, respectively), while flaked and roasted seeds generated a slightly increased glycemic response (106.0 and 105.8, respectively). Cooking and extrusion did not alter the RDS contents of the seeds. No significant differences were observed among popped, flaked, and roasted RDS contents (38.0%,46.3%, and 42.9%, respectively), which were all lower than RDS content of bread (51.1%). Amaranth seed is a high glycemic food most likely because of its small starch granule size, low resistant starch content (< 1%), and tendency to completely lose its crystalline and granular starch structure during those heat treatments.