Alfredo Lara Herrera - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Alfredo Lara Herrera
Journal of Agricultural Sciences Research (2764-0973), 2023
One of the main problems of tomato production (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in greenhouse soil is... more One of the main problems of
tomato production (Solanum lycopersicum
L.) in greenhouse soil is the damage
caused by fungi and nematodes. The use
of beneficial microorganisms for disease
control is a biological alternative that has
been intensifying, helping to reduce the use
of agrochemicals and maintaining yield. The
objective of the research was to know the
effect of a beneficial microbial consortium
(BMC), the combination of BMC with
chemical control (CC) and only CC against
the phytopathogens Fusarium oxysporum. and
Meloidogyne spp. in the tomato crop, using the
cultivar “El Cid”. The research was carried out
in 2019 in a company that produces vegetables
in greenhouse soil in the state of Zacatecas.
The growth of the plant was measured (length
and diameter of the stem, length of the leaf,
length of the bunch to the apex and length
of the stem of the bunch); fruit production
(number, size, weight and yield); fruit quality
(total soluble solids and firmness); plant
health index (damage by Meloidogyne and
percentage of damage by Fusarium). In the
growth variables, the combination of BMC
applied to the soil weekly and biweekly by
foliar application + CC presented the best
results. There were no significant differences
in yield, only the treatment where the BMC
+ CC was applied weekly presented lower
yield, but better fruit quality. There were no
significant differences in the plant health
index. With the weekly application of the
BMC in the soil and in the foliage and without
the CC, the best performance of the crop was
obtained.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2018
Primer Foro par Productores de Chile, 2010,, Aug 1, 2010
International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 2016
The major environmental concerns of agriculture in Mexico are related to water resources and defo... more The major environmental concerns of agriculture in Mexico are related to water resources and deforestation, in addition to the increasingly important issues of pesticide use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion. This situation worsens in arid or semiarid regions, such as the state of Zacatecas, where the main source of water is 34 aquifers, 15 of which are overexploited. One option for reducing environmental deterioration is to encourage production units to adopt environmental management systems (EMS). These systems, however, are not well known to growers at the local or national level. The establishment of an EMS in the agricultural sector is relatively new, although it is widely used in other industrial sectors. This study determined the views, drivers and barriers to adopting an EMS in the vegetable sector of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. A questionnaire was given to 202 technicians or owners of vegetable production units. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Improving access to markets was the most important driver for EMS adoption, while the lack of government support was the main barrier. The study demonstrated that views of sustainability are closely related to attitudes toward environmental management actions and environmental sustainability.
Acta Horticulturae, 2015
Agriculture in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, consumes 77% of the available groundwater. In this... more Agriculture in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, consumes 77% of the available groundwater. In this region, the main source of water is 34 aquifers, of which 44% are over exploited. Over extraction of the aquifers damages the environment, increases pumping costs and decreases water quality. Greenhouse tomato production systems have increased considerably in recent years. Besides the environmental problems that agriculture generates, there is also the problem of emissions and solid waste. The objective of this paper is to assess the environmental impact on profitability of protected agriculture systems in the state of Zacatecas. The methodology used was total cost assessment. This study assesses the total cost of four production units in their present situation, as well as in two scenarios: one denominated "sustainable" and the other "unsustainable". Profitability indicators in the "sustainable" and "unsustainable" scenarios show that adopting conservation production practices, besides improving the image of the organization and permitting better access to markets, will maintain profitability and contribute to the conservation of natural resources.
Acta Horticulturae, 2012
With the aim to evaluate chili pepper production, cultivar 'Ancho', with no chemical fertilizers;... more With the aim to evaluate chili pepper production, cultivar 'Ancho', with no chemical fertilizers; the effect of five different vermicompost-perlite mixes were used, under greenhouse conditions. Rates of the organic material were: 0.0, 15, 30, 45 and 60% (v:v). A single plant was grown in a 20-L pot, with drip irrigation and using water only: except for the control treatment irrigated with Steiner nutritive solution. For crop management, organic agriculture authorized products were used only, using a complete random blocks design with four replications. The evaluated variables were: plant height (PH), leaf number (LN), flower number (FN), fruit number (FrN), fruit weight (FW), fruit diameter (FD), fruit length (FL), leaf dry weight (LDW), root dry weight (RDW), limb dry weight (LiDW). Values of the evaluated variables increased when vermicompost rates applied were increased also. Variables showing statistical differences among treatments were: LN and PH, during plant vegetative stage; FN and FrN, during productive stage; FD, FL and FW, during ripening stage. FW was the highest for treatment with 60% of vermicompost but was, statistically, only different to treatments with 30% or less than that. Treatment with 15% showed less FW. On the other hand, treatment with 60% of vermicompost, a single plant yield 1345 g, being 2.77-folds higher than 15% treatment.
Biosystems Engineering, 2009
This paper presents a comparison of different evolutionary algorithms (EAs), such as Genetic Algo... more This paper presents a comparison of different evolutionary algorithms (EAs), such as Genetic Algorithms (GAs), Evolutionary Strategies (ES) and Evolutionary Programming (EP) to calibrate parameters of a climate model that describes the behaviour of air temperature and relative humidity (RH) within a greenhouse where a tomato crop is being grown. The objective was to determine which method generates parameter values that give the best prediction of the environment of a greenhouse located in the central region of Mé xico. Simulation and analysis of the climate model show that the estimations of the inside temperature and RH are closest to the measurements when EP was used to calibrate the parameters of the greenhouse model.
In Jerez, Zacatecas, the effect of three varieties and three planting densities on yield and econ... more In Jerez, Zacatecas, the effect of three varieties and three planting densities on yield and economic profitability of a lettuce crop in a medium-technology multitunneltype greenhouse was evaluated and compared, in the winter period after a tomato crop. The experiment was set up under a factorial arrangement with three treatments (lettuce varieties Durango, Orejona PX and EZ-1) combined with three planting densities (20, 6.6 and 5 plants m-2) in a complete block design with four replications. The variables evaluated were yield, leaf, stem and root fresh weight, and profitability. Durango variety yield was 1.22 and 1.18 times higher than that of EZ-1 and PX Orejona, respectively. Density of 20 plants m-2 yielded (kg m-2) 2.1 and 2.7 times more than the density of 6.6 and 5 plants m-2, respectively. However, weight per plant was contrary to weight per square meter: 5 plants m-2 weighed 1.01 to 1.49 times more than 6.6 and 20 plants m-2, respectively. The benefit/cost relationship of t...
Primer Foro par Productores de Chile, 2010,, Aug 1, 2010
Terra Latinoamericana, 2005
This work was carried out in five municipalities of the State of Zacatecas, Mexico, and the objec... more This work was carried out in five municipalities of the State of Zacatecas, Mexico, and the objective was to evaluate peach nutrimental status with two diagn...
The leafhopper Empoasca kraemeri is a pest of agricultural importance in bean crop because it occ... more The leafhopper Empoasca kraemeri is a pest of agricultural importance in bean crop because it occurs during all the phenological stages of bean cultivation. However, in the stages of flowering and development of pods the attack is more severe, this coupled with the presence of dry climates condition that increases the reproduction and attack of this insect pest. During the years 2015 and 2016 in the agricultural field of the Agriculture School of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas field samples were taken to determine the populations of the leafhopper and its relation with the precipitation, as well as of its native parasitoid Anagrus sp. The populations of the year 2015 are high in comparison to those that were presented in the year 2016 due to the presence and distribution of the rain
Zacatecas es el principal productor nacional de frijol. La mayor parte de la superficie cultivada... more Zacatecas es el principal productor nacional de frijol. La mayor parte de la superficie cultivada de la leguminosa es de temporal. Escasa precipitacion pluvial, baja eficiencia en riego agricola y sobreexplotacion de acuiferos provoca danos ambientales. En este trabajo se determina la rentabilidad y empleo de la produccion de frijol en el estado, considerando las fallas de mercado atribuidas al ambiente. La informacion se obtuvo a traves de dos encuestas, una a Jefes de DDR y otra a productores. Aplicando la Matriz de Analisis de Politica Ampliada, se determino la relacion del costo privado, como indicador de rentabilidad. El 69% de la superficie fue cultivada con tecnologias competitivas.
In the present work, the entomofauna associated with the cultivation of chili was recorded during... more In the present work, the entomofauna associated with the cultivation of chili was recorded during the months of May August 2017 in the municipality of Morelos, Zac. Using the netting insects as a sampling technique. Seven samples were taken and 7 samples were taken in each cultivar of serrano, jalapeño, tree, guajillo, pasilla, and poblano peppers. A total of 1,204 specimens were collected, of which 54 species belonging to 8 orders were determined (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera). Jalapeño peppers registered a higher abundance of insects when they found a total of 306 insects, followed by chili serrano with 270 and chili guajillo with 246.
Horticultura Brasileira, 2020
The amount of water and fertilizers used in the production of vegetables, specifically tomatoes (... more The amount of water and fertilizers used in the production of vegetables, specifically tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) is high. This study was conducted to determine water and fertilizer productivity in closed and open hydroponic system for tomato production in greenhouse. Two treatments with eight replications were assessed; each replication consisted of 67 pots with two plants each. One treatment was a closed hydroponic system (with nutrient solution recirculation), and the other was an open hydroponic system (with non-recirculating nutrient solution). We quantified the amounts of water and fertilizers applied, as well as losses (drained nutrient solution), in the two treatments during the entire cycle. Also, we measured different parameters in the nutrient solution: electric conductivity, pH, volume applied, and volume drained; and in plants: total weight of fruits (25 pickings). There were no significant differences between the two treatments in fruit production. Water produ...
Revista mexicana de …, 2011
The chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is vulnerable to a disease known in the state of Zacatecas ... more The chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is vulnerable to a disease known in the state of Zacatecas as" dog's urine", which appeared recently and its importance increases every day, since it reduces the production of the pepper. Some of the symptoms are the necrosis ...
uaz.edu.mx
El grano de las variedades e híbridos de maíz (Zea mays L.) que se siembran en el estado de Zacat... more El grano de las variedades e híbridos de maíz (Zea mays L.) que se siembran en el estado de Zacatecas, contiene entre 9 y 13% de proteína total, pero debido a su bajo contenido relativo de los aminoácidos lisina y triptofano, al consumirlo sólo se aprovecha entre 4.4 y 6.5% de la misma. Se han obtenido maíces de alta calidad de proteína, de los que se aprovecha 8% o más de la proteína total en la nutrición humana y animal. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue comparar un híbrido y una variedad de polinización libre de alta calidad de proteína (MACP), con dos híbridos de endospermo normal en siembras de riego en Zacatecas. Los cuatro maíces se evaluaron en las densidades de población: 50, 60 y 70 mil plantas ha-1 , en los ciclos agrícolas 2000 y 2001.
Real-time monitoring provides reliable, timely information of crop and soil status, important in ... more Real-time monitoring provides reliable, timely information of crop and soil status, important in taking decisions for crop production improvement. This work presents a real-time monitoring and control system for climatological variables in greenhouse. The system has wireless communication capabilities, which allow it to cover extensive surfaces in real-time, without extra resources. The system implementation is based on the micro controllers "PIC18F4550" and "DSPIC 30F5011", user interface was programmed under LINUX. The proposed system performance was compared with commercial Data Loggers, readings present a linear adjustment with R 2 =0.9656.
RESUMEN. En el municipio de Morelos, Zac, se establecieron doce cultivares de chile bajo acolchad... more RESUMEN. En el municipio de Morelos, Zac, se establecieron doce cultivares de chile bajo acolchados plásticos de color verde-clorofila y gris-plata se evaluaron las poblaciones de Bactericera cockerelli. Se tomaron muestras semanales en cada material genético y acolchado plástico. Las poblaciones se contrastaron con medias independientes con alfa 0.05, los resultados muestran que el acolchado verde no repele las poblaciones de B. cockerelli con diferencia estadística del acolchado plástico de color gris.
Journal of Agricultural Sciences Research (2764-0973), 2023
One of the main problems of tomato production (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in greenhouse soil is... more One of the main problems of
tomato production (Solanum lycopersicum
L.) in greenhouse soil is the damage
caused by fungi and nematodes. The use
of beneficial microorganisms for disease
control is a biological alternative that has
been intensifying, helping to reduce the use
of agrochemicals and maintaining yield. The
objective of the research was to know the
effect of a beneficial microbial consortium
(BMC), the combination of BMC with
chemical control (CC) and only CC against
the phytopathogens Fusarium oxysporum. and
Meloidogyne spp. in the tomato crop, using the
cultivar “El Cid”. The research was carried out
in 2019 in a company that produces vegetables
in greenhouse soil in the state of Zacatecas.
The growth of the plant was measured (length
and diameter of the stem, length of the leaf,
length of the bunch to the apex and length
of the stem of the bunch); fruit production
(number, size, weight and yield); fruit quality
(total soluble solids and firmness); plant
health index (damage by Meloidogyne and
percentage of damage by Fusarium). In the
growth variables, the combination of BMC
applied to the soil weekly and biweekly by
foliar application + CC presented the best
results. There were no significant differences
in yield, only the treatment where the BMC
+ CC was applied weekly presented lower
yield, but better fruit quality. There were no
significant differences in the plant health
index. With the weekly application of the
BMC in the soil and in the foliage and without
the CC, the best performance of the crop was
obtained.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2018
Primer Foro par Productores de Chile, 2010,, Aug 1, 2010
International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 2016
The major environmental concerns of agriculture in Mexico are related to water resources and defo... more The major environmental concerns of agriculture in Mexico are related to water resources and deforestation, in addition to the increasingly important issues of pesticide use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion. This situation worsens in arid or semiarid regions, such as the state of Zacatecas, where the main source of water is 34 aquifers, 15 of which are overexploited. One option for reducing environmental deterioration is to encourage production units to adopt environmental management systems (EMS). These systems, however, are not well known to growers at the local or national level. The establishment of an EMS in the agricultural sector is relatively new, although it is widely used in other industrial sectors. This study determined the views, drivers and barriers to adopting an EMS in the vegetable sector of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. A questionnaire was given to 202 technicians or owners of vegetable production units. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Improving access to markets was the most important driver for EMS adoption, while the lack of government support was the main barrier. The study demonstrated that views of sustainability are closely related to attitudes toward environmental management actions and environmental sustainability.
Acta Horticulturae, 2015
Agriculture in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, consumes 77% of the available groundwater. In this... more Agriculture in the state of Zacatecas, Mexico, consumes 77% of the available groundwater. In this region, the main source of water is 34 aquifers, of which 44% are over exploited. Over extraction of the aquifers damages the environment, increases pumping costs and decreases water quality. Greenhouse tomato production systems have increased considerably in recent years. Besides the environmental problems that agriculture generates, there is also the problem of emissions and solid waste. The objective of this paper is to assess the environmental impact on profitability of protected agriculture systems in the state of Zacatecas. The methodology used was total cost assessment. This study assesses the total cost of four production units in their present situation, as well as in two scenarios: one denominated "sustainable" and the other "unsustainable". Profitability indicators in the "sustainable" and "unsustainable" scenarios show that adopting conservation production practices, besides improving the image of the organization and permitting better access to markets, will maintain profitability and contribute to the conservation of natural resources.
Acta Horticulturae, 2012
With the aim to evaluate chili pepper production, cultivar 'Ancho', with no chemical fertilizers;... more With the aim to evaluate chili pepper production, cultivar 'Ancho', with no chemical fertilizers; the effect of five different vermicompost-perlite mixes were used, under greenhouse conditions. Rates of the organic material were: 0.0, 15, 30, 45 and 60% (v:v). A single plant was grown in a 20-L pot, with drip irrigation and using water only: except for the control treatment irrigated with Steiner nutritive solution. For crop management, organic agriculture authorized products were used only, using a complete random blocks design with four replications. The evaluated variables were: plant height (PH), leaf number (LN), flower number (FN), fruit number (FrN), fruit weight (FW), fruit diameter (FD), fruit length (FL), leaf dry weight (LDW), root dry weight (RDW), limb dry weight (LiDW). Values of the evaluated variables increased when vermicompost rates applied were increased also. Variables showing statistical differences among treatments were: LN and PH, during plant vegetative stage; FN and FrN, during productive stage; FD, FL and FW, during ripening stage. FW was the highest for treatment with 60% of vermicompost but was, statistically, only different to treatments with 30% or less than that. Treatment with 15% showed less FW. On the other hand, treatment with 60% of vermicompost, a single plant yield 1345 g, being 2.77-folds higher than 15% treatment.
Biosystems Engineering, 2009
This paper presents a comparison of different evolutionary algorithms (EAs), such as Genetic Algo... more This paper presents a comparison of different evolutionary algorithms (EAs), such as Genetic Algorithms (GAs), Evolutionary Strategies (ES) and Evolutionary Programming (EP) to calibrate parameters of a climate model that describes the behaviour of air temperature and relative humidity (RH) within a greenhouse where a tomato crop is being grown. The objective was to determine which method generates parameter values that give the best prediction of the environment of a greenhouse located in the central region of Mé xico. Simulation and analysis of the climate model show that the estimations of the inside temperature and RH are closest to the measurements when EP was used to calibrate the parameters of the greenhouse model.
In Jerez, Zacatecas, the effect of three varieties and three planting densities on yield and econ... more In Jerez, Zacatecas, the effect of three varieties and three planting densities on yield and economic profitability of a lettuce crop in a medium-technology multitunneltype greenhouse was evaluated and compared, in the winter period after a tomato crop. The experiment was set up under a factorial arrangement with three treatments (lettuce varieties Durango, Orejona PX and EZ-1) combined with three planting densities (20, 6.6 and 5 plants m-2) in a complete block design with four replications. The variables evaluated were yield, leaf, stem and root fresh weight, and profitability. Durango variety yield was 1.22 and 1.18 times higher than that of EZ-1 and PX Orejona, respectively. Density of 20 plants m-2 yielded (kg m-2) 2.1 and 2.7 times more than the density of 6.6 and 5 plants m-2, respectively. However, weight per plant was contrary to weight per square meter: 5 plants m-2 weighed 1.01 to 1.49 times more than 6.6 and 20 plants m-2, respectively. The benefit/cost relationship of t...
Primer Foro par Productores de Chile, 2010,, Aug 1, 2010
Terra Latinoamericana, 2005
This work was carried out in five municipalities of the State of Zacatecas, Mexico, and the objec... more This work was carried out in five municipalities of the State of Zacatecas, Mexico, and the objective was to evaluate peach nutrimental status with two diagn...
The leafhopper Empoasca kraemeri is a pest of agricultural importance in bean crop because it occ... more The leafhopper Empoasca kraemeri is a pest of agricultural importance in bean crop because it occurs during all the phenological stages of bean cultivation. However, in the stages of flowering and development of pods the attack is more severe, this coupled with the presence of dry climates condition that increases the reproduction and attack of this insect pest. During the years 2015 and 2016 in the agricultural field of the Agriculture School of the Autonomous University of Zacatecas field samples were taken to determine the populations of the leafhopper and its relation with the precipitation, as well as of its native parasitoid Anagrus sp. The populations of the year 2015 are high in comparison to those that were presented in the year 2016 due to the presence and distribution of the rain
Zacatecas es el principal productor nacional de frijol. La mayor parte de la superficie cultivada... more Zacatecas es el principal productor nacional de frijol. La mayor parte de la superficie cultivada de la leguminosa es de temporal. Escasa precipitacion pluvial, baja eficiencia en riego agricola y sobreexplotacion de acuiferos provoca danos ambientales. En este trabajo se determina la rentabilidad y empleo de la produccion de frijol en el estado, considerando las fallas de mercado atribuidas al ambiente. La informacion se obtuvo a traves de dos encuestas, una a Jefes de DDR y otra a productores. Aplicando la Matriz de Analisis de Politica Ampliada, se determino la relacion del costo privado, como indicador de rentabilidad. El 69% de la superficie fue cultivada con tecnologias competitivas.
In the present work, the entomofauna associated with the cultivation of chili was recorded during... more In the present work, the entomofauna associated with the cultivation of chili was recorded during the months of May August 2017 in the municipality of Morelos, Zac. Using the netting insects as a sampling technique. Seven samples were taken and 7 samples were taken in each cultivar of serrano, jalapeño, tree, guajillo, pasilla, and poblano peppers. A total of 1,204 specimens were collected, of which 54 species belonging to 8 orders were determined (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera). Jalapeño peppers registered a higher abundance of insects when they found a total of 306 insects, followed by chili serrano with 270 and chili guajillo with 246.
Horticultura Brasileira, 2020
The amount of water and fertilizers used in the production of vegetables, specifically tomatoes (... more The amount of water and fertilizers used in the production of vegetables, specifically tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) is high. This study was conducted to determine water and fertilizer productivity in closed and open hydroponic system for tomato production in greenhouse. Two treatments with eight replications were assessed; each replication consisted of 67 pots with two plants each. One treatment was a closed hydroponic system (with nutrient solution recirculation), and the other was an open hydroponic system (with non-recirculating nutrient solution). We quantified the amounts of water and fertilizers applied, as well as losses (drained nutrient solution), in the two treatments during the entire cycle. Also, we measured different parameters in the nutrient solution: electric conductivity, pH, volume applied, and volume drained; and in plants: total weight of fruits (25 pickings). There were no significant differences between the two treatments in fruit production. Water produ...
Revista mexicana de …, 2011
The chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is vulnerable to a disease known in the state of Zacatecas ... more The chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is vulnerable to a disease known in the state of Zacatecas as" dog's urine", which appeared recently and its importance increases every day, since it reduces the production of the pepper. Some of the symptoms are the necrosis ...
uaz.edu.mx
El grano de las variedades e híbridos de maíz (Zea mays L.) que se siembran en el estado de Zacat... more El grano de las variedades e híbridos de maíz (Zea mays L.) que se siembran en el estado de Zacatecas, contiene entre 9 y 13% de proteína total, pero debido a su bajo contenido relativo de los aminoácidos lisina y triptofano, al consumirlo sólo se aprovecha entre 4.4 y 6.5% de la misma. Se han obtenido maíces de alta calidad de proteína, de los que se aprovecha 8% o más de la proteína total en la nutrición humana y animal. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue comparar un híbrido y una variedad de polinización libre de alta calidad de proteína (MACP), con dos híbridos de endospermo normal en siembras de riego en Zacatecas. Los cuatro maíces se evaluaron en las densidades de población: 50, 60 y 70 mil plantas ha-1 , en los ciclos agrícolas 2000 y 2001.
Real-time monitoring provides reliable, timely information of crop and soil status, important in ... more Real-time monitoring provides reliable, timely information of crop and soil status, important in taking decisions for crop production improvement. This work presents a real-time monitoring and control system for climatological variables in greenhouse. The system has wireless communication capabilities, which allow it to cover extensive surfaces in real-time, without extra resources. The system implementation is based on the micro controllers "PIC18F4550" and "DSPIC 30F5011", user interface was programmed under LINUX. The proposed system performance was compared with commercial Data Loggers, readings present a linear adjustment with R 2 =0.9656.
RESUMEN. En el municipio de Morelos, Zac, se establecieron doce cultivares de chile bajo acolchad... more RESUMEN. En el municipio de Morelos, Zac, se establecieron doce cultivares de chile bajo acolchados plásticos de color verde-clorofila y gris-plata se evaluaron las poblaciones de Bactericera cockerelli. Se tomaron muestras semanales en cada material genético y acolchado plástico. Las poblaciones se contrastaron con medias independientes con alfa 0.05, los resultados muestran que el acolchado verde no repele las poblaciones de B. cockerelli con diferencia estadística del acolchado plástico de color gris.