Agricultural Engineering

The objective of this publication is to offer a series of theoretical concepts, together with the presentation of cases with practical applications, for the definition of parameters and criteria related to the design of irrigation and drainage systems, articulated in a series of considerations and probable effects. The practical observations and analyses presented in this text cover an integral vision for the sustainable management of water and soil resources for agricultural use, starting with the presentation of concepts related to the water-soil-plant-atmosphere relationship.

This publication is the result of several years of research, of the efforts of an incredible team, of scientific rigor applied to agronomy, and it is different from the hundreds of publications that exist on the net, in bookstores, libraries, researchers’ offices and governmental entities, because it is intended for you, my reader friends, producers, students, grandmothers. It is written in a friendly language, without technicalities, easy to understand. It offers a variety of information on the different actors in the production chain of medicinal plants in Colombia, seeking to give the reader a good idea of the medicinal, aromatic and spice plants sector. Each of the chapters offers information on a particular topic, but always framed in this economic, traditional and ancestral sector.

The objective of this publication is to provide a diagnostic tool to the grower of herbs and, in particular, basil, arugula and thyme, which allows him to identify – in the field – the symptoms associated with nutritional deficiencies of the main nutrients.

This text offers necessary and pertinent information for the agronomist to start with the administrative processes in an agricultural enterprise and to complement both the technical experience and the aspects related to the management of resources. The document is not a book on economics or accounting; the title suggests its content and purpose: to know and apply economic and accounting aspects in the agricultural enterprise, which will allow making decisions with greater criteria and knowledge. The book can also be read as a manual of procedures in the management of production resources, since its chapters deal with day-to-day issues of the agricultural enterprise. The document consists of three parts: Concepts of what an agricultural enterprise is; Elements of microeconomics and Agricultural accounting. As another source of information for business management, the book can be consulted at any stage of the production process or operation of the company. Likewise, professionals in the agricultural sector, such as animal husbandry specialists, veterinarians, agricultural administrators, technicians and technologists and, of course, agricultural engineers, will be able to apply the contents of the book, using the technical language of their discipline.

This book documents in detail the development of research, the use of natural enemies and the progress of biological control with entomopathogenic fungi for the management of CBB in Colombia. It gives credit to the first recognitions of natural enemies oriented to inventory and establish them as mortality factors, indicates the search for methods and the way in which production was scaled up, presents the results of evaluations to measure their control potential, demonstrates new ecological relationships and illustrates the promising possibilities applying biotechnology and molecular techniques to improve their potential. The book demonstrates that there are options for insect pest control using biological inputs. These provide opportunities to be production alternatives for cooperatives or producers based in the agricultural production area. To the extent that the production of inputs is local, local economies are supported. Imports to agricultural areas usually have disadvantages in terms of quality, they become more expensive, increasing production costs and there is no support from producers to guarantee their efficiency in the application. This is a development project that can only be understood by those who seek and participate in creating sustainable production systems.

Text result of research of the Project of Adaptation and Propagation of Calahuala (Phlebodium pseudoaureum) in the area of Mesitas de Colegio and Cola de Caballo (Equisetum bogotense) in the area of Usme and Bogotá – Cundinamarca, under an ecological production system, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Farmaverde.

Text result of research of the Project of Adaptation and Propagation of Calahuala (Phlebodium pseudoaureum) in the area of Mesitas de Colegio and Cola de Caballo (Equisetum bogotense) in the area of Usme and Bogotá – Cundinamarca, under an ecological production system, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Farmaverde.

This publication reviews the development of research on ants in Colombian coffee plantations, giving credit for the consultation of the original references or sources to all the researchers who contributed with their observations and evaluations in the laboratory and in the field, to demonstrate the beneficial action of this group of organisms. This fauna is important, not only for what it represents for the biodiversity of the coffee zone, but also for the opportunity it has to participate in the management of insect pests in the different production systems of this crop and, especially, as a significant component for the management of pests in organic coffee production. Additionally, it contributes to update the records on the ants that attack the coffee berry borer in the different producing countries. It also highlights the species observed in the field predating the CBB and which, in the laboratory, were evaluated and demonstrated at which stages of development of the CBB they prefer to prey on.

The authors conceptualize the implications of genetically modified organisms, and then describe the methodology of the work to determine the concentration of Cry1AC protein in plant tissues and, subsequently, to determine it in transgenic cotton plant tissues.

It is a priority study in the development of knowledge related to pest control and, in this case, in cotton and corn crops, which is why the U.D.C.A., COLCIENCIAS, SENA, the National Federation of Cereal and Legume Growers FENALCE and REMOLINO S.A., supported its implementation.

In this manual, reliable methodologies are presented that can be used by students in the development of Laboratory Works, required in some courses or in Research Works.

Thinking about the formation and training of the future agricultural engineer in the basic topics of crop production, this compilation of field and laboratory practices of population physiology and management of associated non-cultivated plants is presented, in order to exercise some fundamental methodologies in research and in the professional practice itself.

It is presented as a methodological guide on how to approach the topic of postharvest from the demanding vision of training professionals in the area. It presents basic concepts of postharvest in each of the three major groups, contains guidelines on possible tests to be performed to determine the state of the product and a description of some complementary topics.

This manual has been elaborated so that the student learns fundamental facts and principles concerning plant life, details of plant structure, roots, stems, leaves and reproductive organs, knowledge that will provide a basis for physiological processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, transport and growth.