Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad del Zulia https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia <p>The Journal of the Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad del Zulia is a publication of the Agronomic Research Institute of the Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad del Zulia, published since 1968 and is supported by the Universidad del Zulia, in order to disseminate the results of researchers Venezuelans and other parts of the world, related to the agricultural field. The Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ) publishes four issues per year, i. e., every three months, under continuous publication format (rolling pass). , with original and unpublished scientific articles, technical notes, review articles, quick communications, extensive summaries of congresses and scientific meetings related to the agricultural area for the consideration of the Editorial Committee. The journal publishes research products of high scientific quality and promotes the exchange of publications and scientific activity at the agricultural level, in the areas of Plant Production, Animal Production, Food Technology and Socioeconomics. The topics included in these areas are: agrosystem management, environment, agricultural biotechnology, meat science, milk science, rural development, agricultural economics, agricultural entomology, fertilizers, post-harvest physiology, plant physiology, physiology and animal reproduction, pastures and forages, animal and plant genetics and improvement, weeds, animal nutrition, plant pathology, agri-food safety, agri-food systems and soils.</p> Universidad del Zulia en-US Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad del Zulia 0378-7818 Controlled deficit irrigation on growth variables of Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum typhoides https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/44038 <p>Currently, efficiency in water use in agriculture is being sought through techniques that allow for the reduction of the water footprint of crops. This is why the effect of controlled deficit irrigation on the growth variables of King Grass Morado (<em>Pennisetum purpureum</em> x <em>Pennisetum typhoides</em>) was evaluated in the canton of Chone, Ecuador. The treatments studied were: irrigation levels at 40, 60, 80, and 100 % of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc). The grass was sown in black polyethylene bags with a capacity of 10 kg of soil. A completely randomized experimental design with repeated measures over time was used, along with five replicates. The results obtained from the Friedman test showed significant differences (p&lt;0.0001) due to the effects of the study factors: deficit irrigation and successive cuts of the grass on the net assimilation rate of the grass (TAN), growth rate (TC), relative growth rate (TCR), and leaf area index (IAF) did not occur in the same way for the interaction between them. When the irrigation sheet is applied at 80 % of ETc, the TC is better at 0,0002409 g.(dm<sup>2</sup>.d)<sup>-1</sup>, TCR is -0,00022 g.g.d<sup>-1</sup>, and TAN is 0,0072065 g.(dm<sup>2</sup>.d)<sup>-1</sup>. The leaf area index performs best with the irrigation sheet at 100 % of ETc with 1,81. King Grass Morado can reduce its actual water requirement by up to 80 % without being affected in growth variables.</p> Jesús Chavarría Rosa Razz Jorge Vilchez-Perozo Copyright (c) 2025 Jesús Enrique Chavarría Párraga, Rosa Razz García, Jorge Vilchez-Perozo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-06-22 2025-06-22 42 3 e254230 e254230 Effect of fulvic acid on the growth of hydroponic pea (Pisum sativum L.) microgreens https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/44073 <p>Fulvic acid is a widely recognized biostimulant due to its benefits in traditional crops; however, its application in hydroponic systems, particularly in microgreen production, is not well documented. This study evaluated the effect of fulvic acid on the growth of hydroponic pea microgreens (<em>Pisum sativum</em> L.). The experimental design was completely randomized and consisted of four treatments (n=5): nutrient solution (NS), fulvic acid solution 0.01 % (FA), NS + FA, and water (control). After 12 days, growth and biochemical parameters were measured. The results showed that NS and NS+FA treatments significantly increased stem length (7.73 cm and 7.28 cm), fresh weight (0.613 g and 0.618 g), and yield (6.15 kg.m<sup>-2</sup>) compared to the FA treatment or control. The FA treatment increased stem diameter (2.38 mm) but did not significantly increase biomass. Biochemical analysis showed that FA and control had higher nitrate content, while NS and NS+FA reduced nitrate accumulation. Antioxidant capacity, chlorophyll content, and color index were similar among treatments. However, the pH increased with the application of fulvic acid. Fulvic acid alone moderately improved growth but was less effective than the nutrient solution. The combination of fulvic acid with a complete nutrient solution did not produce additive effects, highlighting the importance of balanced nutrition in hydroponic microgreen production.&nbsp;</p> Aldo Gutiérrez Martha Balandrán Rosa Yáñez Jared Hernández Copyright (c) 2025 Aldo Gutiérrez Chávez, Martha Irma Balandrán Balladarez, Rosa María Yañez Muñoz, Jared Hernández Huerta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-06-30 2025-06-30 42 3 e254232 e254232 Effect of solar irradiation, substrate type and environment on the growth and ornamental quality of Euphorbia cotinifolia plants https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/44097 <p><em>Euphorbia cotinifolia</em> L. is an ornamental plant of economic importance due to the red-purple color of its foliage. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of solar irradiation, substrate type and environment on the growth and ornamental quality of <em>E. cotinifolia</em> plants propagated from semi-woody cuttings. Two experiments were conducted from June 2022 to March 2023, in Tetela de Ocampo and Huitzilan de Serdan, Puebla, Mexico. Each experiment had 20 treatments. The experiments had a 2x5x2 factorial design; factor 1 was growth environments, its levels: temperate climate (STC), and subtropical (SHC). Factor 2 was solar irradiation, its levels: 80, 240, 347, 394, and 571 µmol.m<sup>-2</sup>.s<sup>-1</sup>. Factor 3 was the type of substrate, its levels: river sand with peat moss (AT), and forest soil with perlite (SP). At 243 days after rooting, the highest values were: 32.98 cm for terminal shoot growth, 4.80 mm.day<sup>-1</sup> in growth rate, 1.76 in robustness index, 1.32 in Dickson's index. The maximum anthocyanin concentration was 4.94 mg.g<sup>-1</sup> in red-purple leaves. The highest values and the red-purple color of the foliage (quality indicator) occurred when the plants were grown on AT substrate, at 571 µmol.m<sup>-2</sup>.s<sup>-1</sup> in SHC climate. It is concluded that in tropical climate, plants develop with better quality; river sand with peat moss is recommended as substrate, and exposure to high light intensities.</p> Jesús Aguilar-Luna Liliana Hernández-Vargas Copyright (c) 2025 Jesús Mao Aguilar-Luna, Liliana Hernández-Vargas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-07-07 2025-07-07 42 3 e254234 e254234 Single-nucleotide polymorphism panels in the racial authentication of Hairless pigs in Mexico https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/44072 <p>&nbsp;Massive genotyping panels of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were evaluated to create an authentication and racial identification strategy for the Hairless pig. Three populations of Hairless pigs from the states of Nayarit (n=10), Oaxaca (n=10) and Yucatán (n=143), Mexico, were genotyped with the porcine-GGP-50K chip, and genotypes for the Duroc (n=66), Hampshire (n=33), Landrace (n=95), Large White (n=47), Pietrain (n=42) and Iberico hairless (n=15) breeds were added. Three strategies involving previously reported SNP panels and a fourth strategy involving the combination of all SNP panels was evaluated. Using canonical discriminant analysis (CDA), the canonical correlations and percentages of racial discrimination were obtained, and with the first two canonical variables, distance trees between populations were constructed. Racial separation was achieved with all four strategies; the greater the number of SNPs used, the better the identification of the Hairless pig. The combined panel with 96 SNPs achieved 100 % racial assignment and had the greatest canonical correlation in the CDA, revealing a racial grouping of the three Hairless pig populations close to the Iberian population. With SNP panels, it is possible to achieve the racial authentication of the Hairless pig and discriminate it from other pig breeds.</p> Clemente Lemus-Flores Carlos De la Cruz Juan Borrayo María Orozco Copyright (c) 2025 Clemente Lemus-Flores, Carlos Omar De la Cruz Moreno, Juan José Fernando Borrayo González, María Guadalupe Orozco Benítez, Miguel Angel Ayala-Valdovinos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-06-30 2025-06-30 42 3 e254231 e254231 Characterization of bovine production system typologies on indigenous reservations (Etnia-Pijao) at Natagaima-Tolima, Colombia https://mail.produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/agronomia/article/view/44096 <p>In southern Tolima, Colombia, the Indigenous Reservations (IR) of the Pijao ethnic group depend on cattle ranching, but their productive dynamics are poorly understood, making it difficult to design sustainable models. The objective of this study was to characterize the emerging typologies of the bovine production system of these IR by considering the sociocultural, techno-economic, and environmental processes. In 2023, a semi-structured interview was conducted in fifteen production units (PU) of the twenty-nine existing in the area. Indicators from each dimension (techno-economic, sociocultural, and environmental) were analyzed through multivariate analysis, identifying three typologies: G1 (46.6 %), composed by small IRs whith technology low level, showing a small-scale production; G2 (26.7 %), also grouped small IRs with small-scale production but moderately technified; and G3 (26.7 %) was integrated by large IRs, moderately technified and with a medium scale production. G3 stood out for some indicators of the techno-economic dimension. Although, all groups showed a low level of technological adoption, which resulted in poor productive and reproductive performance. The differences in G3’s better economic outcomes are due to its larger scale of production. In the social sphere, female leadership stood out, especially in groups with the highest proportion of trained people (G2 and G3). Overall, the PUs showed soils with poor organic matter content, low fertility level, little forest coverage and a moderate degree of erosion, indicating some alterations of the agroecosystem.</p> Ciro Ortiz-Valdes José Velázquez-Penagos Gloria Pastrana-Aguirre Jorge Arguelles-Cárdenas Hernando Flórez-Díaz Yohaira Pérez-Guerrero Copyright (c) 2025 Ciro Ortiz-Valdes, José Guillermo Velázquez-Penagos, Gloria Estefanía Pastrana-Aguirre, Jorge Humberto Arguelles-Cárdenas, Hernando Flórez-Díaz, Yohaira Andrea Pérez-Guerrero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-07-06 2025-07-06 42 3 e254233 e254233