The development of agriculture requires the use of microorganisms in the management of phytopathogens as a way to compensate for the use of chemical pesticides, in order to produce healthy crops. The objective of this study was to characterize a new isolate of Trichoderma sp. based on morphological and molecular features, and its potential ability to control the pathogen Alternaria sp. The antagonistic isolate was isolated from soil samples of potato fields in Guasave Sinaloa, Mexico, whereas the pathogen was collected from infected apple leaves in the orchard “La Escondida” in Guerrero County, Chihuahua, Mexico. For morphological characterization both fungi were grown on solid PDA medium. DNA of Trichoderma sp. was isolated using the CTAB method and PCR analyses were done using ITS1, ITS4 primers resulting in amplified products of 600 bp. These were sequenced, submitted to Genbank (acc. no. MN950427) and used for further phylogenetic analysis through Bayesian inference approach. Five clades were identified and the polytome topography recovered from clade 4 indicates a high genetic similarity with T. asperellum. A BLAST examination of the resulting sequence in GenBank showed 98.11% similarity with T. asperellum. This result together with the morphological and the phylogenetic analyses indicates that the isolate belongs to Trichoderma asperellum Samuels, Lieckfeldt & Nirenberg. Biocontrol tests of this isolate showed inhibition of Alternaria sp. between 50% and 93%. These results are essential for biodiversity research and give some new possibilities for pest management.

Drought stress is one of the main factors limiting seed germination and seedling establishment in field crops such as jalapeño peppers (Capsicum annuum L.). Nanopriming, a seed improvement technique using nanoparticle suspensions, has emerged as a sustainable approach to improving water use efficiency during the early stages of development. This study evaluated the effects of zinc oxide (ZnO, 100 mg·L⁻¹), silicon dioxide (SiO₂, 10 mg·L⁻¹), and their combination (ZnO + SiO₂), stabilized with chitosan, on the germination yield and drought tolerance of jalapeño seeds under mannitol-induced water stress (0%, 15%, and 30%). Compared to the hydroprimed control (T1), nanoparticle treatments consistently improved seed yield. Priming with ZnO (T2) increased the germination percentage by up to 25%, priming with SiO₂ (T3) improved the germination rate by 34%, and the combined treatment (T4: ZnO + SiO₂) improved the fresh weight of the seedlings by 40%. Proline accumulation increased 7.5 times, antioxidant capacity (DPPH) increased 6.5 times, and total phenol content increased 4.8 times in the combined treatment. Flavonoid levels also showed notable increases, suggesting enhanced antioxidant defense. These results clearly demonstrate the superior efficacy of nanoparticle pretreatment compared to conventional hydraulic pretreatment, especially under drought conditions. Multivariate analysis further highlighted the synergistic role of ZnO and SiO₂ in improving osmolite accumulation, antioxidant activity, and water use efficiency. Nanopriming with ZnO and SiO₂ offers a promising, economical, and scalable strategy to improve germination, early growth, and drought resistance in jalapeño pepper cultivation under semi-arid conditions.

Boron (B) nanofertilizers are an innovative alternative with great potential to make nutrient application more efficient and thereby improve crop growth and productivity. However, nowadays there is little literature on the effects of boron nanofertilizers on physiological and biochemical processes in plants. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to study the efficacy of foliar application of a boron nanofertilizer on biomass, yield, nitrogen assimilation and photosynthetic activity in green beans plants cv. Strike. The B nanofertilizer was foliar applied at 0, 25, 50 and 100 ppm. Biomass accumulation, yield, nitrate reductase enzyme activity, photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic pigment content were evaluated. The results obtained indicate that the application of B nanofertilizer at dose of 25 ppm were more effective in improving biomass, while the dose of 100 ppm favoured nitrate reductase activity and stomatal conductance. The results suggest that the application of B nanofertilizers stimulated the development of green bean plants. Finally, more studies are needed to evaluate the possible phytotoxic effects of high doses of B nanofertilizers and to compare their effects with conventional B fertilizers already used in the market.

Biogas produced from agricultural and forestry waste is emerging as a strategic and multifunctional solution to address climate change, inefficient waste management, and the need for renewable energy by transforming large volumes of biomass. Global estimates indicate that approximately 1.3 billion tons of waste is produced each year for these sectors; this waste is processed through anaerobic digestion, allowing it to be transformed into energy and biofertilizers. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%, promotes rural development, improves biodiversity, and prevents environmental risks, such as forest fires. However, despite its high global technical potential, which is estimated at 8000 TWh per year, its use remains limited as a result of its high initial costs, low efficiency in relation to lignocellulosic waste, and weak regulatory frameworks, especially in countries like Mexico, which use less than 5% of their available biomass. In response, emerging technologies, such as co-digestion with microalgae, integrated biorefineries, and artificial intelligence tools, are opening up new avenues for overcoming these barriers under a comprehensive approach that combines science, technology, and community participation. Therefore, biogas is positioned as a key pillar for a circular, fair, and resilient bioeconomy, promoting energy security and advancing toward a just and environmentally responsible future.

Climate change has prompted agri-food systems to explore new strategies for improving the production of crops in a sustainable manner. This includes green bean, the most important legume in the world for its nutritional value. The use of omeprazole (OMP) and melatonin (MEL) has been proposed as innovative strategy for crop improvement when they are applied as biostimulants. However, although their role in the growth of several species has been studied, the results in photosynthetic efficiency parameters are still scarce. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of OMP and MEL on biomass, yield, SPAD values, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (qP), non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), quantum yield of photosystem II (PhiPSII), and electron transport rate (ETR) in bean plants. Treatments were applied separately at doses of 1, 10, and 100 µM, plus a control without application. The results obtained indicate that OMP and MEL were able to increase biomass; yield; SPAD values; and qP, Fv/Fm, and PhiPSII coefficients. Finally, it is concluded that foliar application of OMP and MEL at a dose of 1 and 10 µM can increase photosynthetic efficiency and decrease photoinhibition, which is reflected in higher biomass accumulation and yield in green bean plants cv. Strike.