The aim of this study was to determine the soil microbiome throughout mass sequencing in coffee plantations managed with either an organic (OAM; i.e., bio-fertilizers Azospirillum brasilense and Glomus intraradices) or a conventional (CAM; i.e., traditional NPK-fertilization) agronomic systems. Soil microbiome samples were collected in tropical eastern Mexico (Veracruz, 19°28’ N & 96° 52’ W), with annual average temperature and rainfall of 24.8° C, and 882.6 mm, respectively. Upon DNA soil-microbiome extraction, the V3-V4 16S rRNA region was amplified, and sequenced (Illumina). Results were analyzed with QIIME based on the EzBioCloud reference. Diverse phyla (n=16), classes (n=40), orders (n=90), families (n=135) and genera (n=333) were identified. The diversity index values were similar in both treatments, with Shannon's being 9.7 and Simpson's 0.99. While the phylum Proteobacteria was more abundant in CAM-soils and classified as copiotrophic, the phylum Acidobacteria was more abundant in OAM-soils and classified as oligotrophic. This classification may be related to the application of microorganisms and their effect on the soil´s state of organic matter and carbon fractions. Our research outcomes indicate that the application of bio-fertilizers promoted an increased presence of Acidobacteria, a phylum positively correlated with organic matter while significantly involved in carbon sequestration. Undisputable, metagenomics emerges as an interesting up-to-date genomic technology for unveiling the hidden content of the soil microbiome black box.

Agronomic management modifies the soil bacterial communities and may alter the carbon fractions. Here, we identify differences in several chemical and biological soil variables, as well as bacterial composition between organic (Org) and conventional (Conv) agronomic management in pecan (Carya illinoinensis) orchards located in Coahuila, Mexico. The analyzed variables were pH, N, P, K, soil organic matter, organic matter quality, soil organic carbon, C/N ratio, carbon fractions, microbial biomass carbon, easily extractable Glomalin, colony-forming units, CO₂ emissions, and the enzyme activity. The DNA of soil bacteria was extracted, amplified (V3-V4 16S rRNA), and sequenced using Illumina. To compare variables between agronomic managements, t tests were used. Sequences were analyzed in QIIME (Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology). A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to observe associations between the ten most abundant phyla and soil variables in both types of agronomic managements. In Org management, variables related to the capture of recalcitrant carbon compounds were significant, and there was a greater diversity of bacterial communities capable of promoting organic carbon sequestration. In Conv management, variables related to the increase in carbon mineralization, as well as the enzymatic activity related to the metabolism of labile compounds, were significant. The CCA suggested a separation between phyla associated with some variables. Agronomic management impacted soil chemical and biological parameters related to carbon dynamics, including bacterial communities associated with carbon sequestration. Further research is still necessary to understand the plasticity of some bacterial communities, as well as the soil–plant dynamics.

En el Altiplano Potosino-Zacatecano existen encinares relicto. Las especies del género Quercusson importantes ecológica, social y económicamente. Sin embargo, la información sobre su riqueza y distribución es escasa. Por lo que se plantea como objetivo conocer las especies del género Quercus en cuatro sierras y dos cerros aislados del Altiplano Potosino-Zacatecano. Los encinares se delimitaron con base en información cartográfica cotejada en campo. De marzo a julio de 2014 y de enero a abril de 2015 se recolectaron 85 ejemplares, se identificaron y se cotejaron con colecciones de la Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México y de la Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes. Diez especies fueron registradas. De ellas, solo Q. tinkhamii, Q. potosina y Q. eduardii habían sido reportadas para la región, especificando el lugar. Otras, dos se encontraron en Peñón Blanco, tres en Guanamé, dos en Sierra la Mojonera, una en Cerro Los Licenciados y, en Sierra de San Miguel. Q. saltillensis que es un nuevo registro para el área de estudio. Q. jonesii y Q. greggii se localizan en el Cerro Peñón Blanco, Q. eduardii, Q. striatula, Q. pringlei en Sierra de Guanamé y Mesa la Difunta, Q. grisea en Cerro Los Licenciados y Sierra San Miguel. Quercus saltillensis es un nuevo registro en Sierra de Guanamé, Venado, S.L.P.

Maize is an important cereal in terms of human and animal nutrition worldwide. In our study, the bacterial microbiome composition of the soil rhizosphere was compared among three maize (Zea mays L.) races: forage (C1), dual-purpose (C2) and grain (C3). Additionally, the impact of the bacterial microbiome of the soil rhizosphere over yield was determined. Our study was conducted in plots located in the El Retiro Experimental Field at Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro (UAAAN). Soil sampling was carried out in June 13, 2021, 51 days af ter sowing. DNA was extracted from three samples of each maize race. The V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified and massive next-generation sequencing was performed with Illumina. The bioinformatic analysis was conducted in QIIME using the bacterial taxonomic reference of EzBioCloud. The phylum Proteobacteria, the class Phycisphaerae, the orders Shingomonadales, Micrococcales and Phycisphaerales, the families Moroxellaceae, Micrococcaceae, Chitinophagaceae, Shingobacteriaceae and Enterobacteriaceae, as well as the genera Acinetobacter, Shingobacterium and Cryseobacterium, were the bacterial taxa that dif fered in relative abundance among the three races (P < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test and an average dissimilarity > 0.10 in the SIMPER analysis). Among the taxa identified, plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) such as Acinetobacter and Sphingobacterium were detected. The race C2 showed the best yields of grain weight (15.56 Mg ha-1) and forage dry weight (10.61 Mg ha-1). Thus, we conclude that C2 represents a good option to preserve the seed and that further research should be developed for this race under dif ferent conditions.

Background: Cotton is one of the main industrial crops worldwide and a key raw material for the textile industry, generating thousands of jobs along its value chain. In Mexico, the main producing states are Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Tamaulipas. The cotton boll weevil is the most important pest of the crop, and its control relies on aerial applications of malathion ULV, a widely used organophosphate insecticide. However, its use may cause adverse effects on predatory insects within the agroecosystem, which play a key role in the natural regulation of secondary pests. Objective: To identify the diversity and abundance of predatory insects associated with cotton agroecosystems in relation to the number of malathion ULV applications. Methodology: Three fields were selected in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Tamaulipas, with a range of 0 to 30 aerial applications of malathion ULV. Sampling consisted of 20 net sweeps strokes at five sites per field, for a total of 100 sweeps per field. Predatory insects collected were identified and counted in the laboratory. The evaluated variable was the number of insects per 100 net sweeps for each species or taxonomic group. Abundance data were transformed using the natural logarithm (x + 1). Statistical analysis was performed using LSD tests at a 5% significance level for mean comparisons. Results: Thirteen species of predatory insects were identified. In 2023, Chrysoperla sp. and Hippodamia convergens showed higher abundance in Coahuila and Durango. In Tamaulipas, Coleomegilla maculata and Geocoris punctipes were predominant, whereas arachnids were dominant in Chihuahua. In 2024, H. convergens and Orius tristicolor were mainly abundant in Durango, while Zelus sp., G. punctipes, and arachnids were more representative in Chihuahua. Implications: These results highlight the importance of implementing selective pest management strategies that minimize negative effects on beneficial fauna within cotton agroecosystems. Conclusion: Orius tristicolor was the most abundant predatory species across the evaluated cotton agroecosystems in Mexico. The observed variation among densities and taxonomic groups of predatory insects may be associated with differences in exposure and application conditions of malathion ULV, rather than with a uniform direct toxic effect on the entire beneficial fauna.