Author: Brigitt Briceño

There is a common practice in the poultry industry to slaughter newly hatched male chicks. These are not considered useful, since they do not lay eggs and their meat is not productive: they take a long time to reach the weight and size necessary for consumption. Thanks to technological and scientific advances, it is foreseen that, in the near future, this action will be unnecessary and obsolete all over the world. In-ovo sexing For a couple of decades, a technology called in-ovo sexing has been studied, created and improved, which determines the sex of the chick while it is still in the...

The cocoa husk is equivalent to approximately 20% of the weight of the fruit. It is used as fertilizer for crops, but most of the time only a percentage is used, while a large amount is wasted and ends up in the garbage. But this is changing, since in recent years its use is being implemented in biodegradable packaging and containers. It is important to distinguish between husks and shells. Cáscara is the thick shell, which is called pod, maracas or mazorca. Cocoa husk, on the other hand, is what covers the cocoa bean, and is...

It is the nopal, a bushy plant, with very fleshy stems, of the Opuntia genus, belonging to the botanical family of cacti. It is a symbol in Mexico, and is even present in the national flag. This shrub has nutritional, ecological, industrial, gastronomic and medicinal properties, which have earned it the denomination of green gold. In terms of nutrition and gastronomy, nopal is rich in fiber, vitamins such as A, C, K, B2 and B6, and minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. It is one of the most traditional foods in the North American country. Its flavor is slightly acidic:...

Renewable energies are those derived from natural sources, which are replenished faster than they can be consumed. When we talk about this type of energy, we always think of solar energy, which comes from the sun; wind energy, which is obtained from the wind; and hydroelectric energy, which transforms the force of water into electrical energy. However, there are other lesser-known renewable energies. Such is the case of geothermal energy, which uses the heat that flows from the Earth's interior to the surface. The heat is extracted from geothermal reservoirs, through wells or...

Agritourism consists of recreational travel to a rural environment, i.e., visiting and learning about the activities of farms, villages, farms, among others. Generally, agrotourism operators do not have tourism as their main source of income, but rather agricultural and livestock production activities. Located 45 minutes from the city of Cusco, in the district of Pisac, in the Peruvian province of Calca, is the Potato Park. A space of 7,238 hectares, managed by five indigenous communities: Amaru, Chawaytire, Pampallacta, Paru Paru and Sacaca, which have the support of...

When bees are in the vicinity of high-voltage power lines of electricity towers or cellular antennas, an increase in stress-related enzymes is produced in them. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by the University of Talca, Chile. The research was led by Marco Molina, director of the Center for Integrative Ecology of the aforementioned university. "Every time a bee gets close to a power line or a cell phone antenna, it becomes stressed and, therefore, its internal temperature increases and its pollination service decreases," says Molina. One of the...

After facing a couple of difficult months, the pork industry in Paraguay is going through an excellent moment. So far in 2023, the price per kilo of live pork has been increasing. According to figures from the Association of Pig Breeders of Paraguay (ACCP), in January the price was USD 1.27$ per live kilo; in February it rose to USD 1.40$; at the end of March it rose to USD 1.50$, a price it has maintained to date (May 2023). Exports improved the outlook The ACCP points out that the opening of exports to Taiwan was very positive....

Numerous studies, carried out for many years in almost all parts of the world, show that the application of agrochemicals in agriculture entails risks to the ecosystem. Environmental monitoring It should be noted that the Latin American economy is largely based on agricultural production, which brings with it a significant environmental impact due to the use of pesticides. It is for this reason that the need arises to use equipment to monitor the concentration of pesticides in the environment. With the aforementioned situation as a reference, the Ar-Puf, the first agrochemical detector in the air manufactured in Argentina, was created. Its creator...

During the pandemic, milk consumption grew sharply in Colombia, resulting in increased use of inventories and increased imports. This situation led to an increase in the price of the product. According to a report from the Economic, Sector and Market Research Department of the Bancolombia Group, in the year 2022 the increase was 37%. The aforementioned document states that in the first months of 2023 the economic consumption of users shows a strong deceleration. And the dairy sector does not escape this reality, since the increase in the price of milk is being...

Nearshoring or production relocation is a strategy whereby companies seek to bring production centers closer to their consumer markets. After the pandemic, this practice became even more attractive, as it has many advantages in the supply chain and minimizes transportation costs. In this sense, Mexico has great potential for the arrival of foreign capital, not only because of its proximity to the United States, but also because it is part of a trade agreement involving the North American countries (T-MEC). In this regard, economists and experts in...