The introduction of nanofertilizers (Nfs) in agriculture has allowed the development of new technologies that enhance the productivity of crops. Within the most studied Nfs we find metal oxides, especially ZnO; however, the results of various experiments provide contradictory data on the growth variables. Therefore, this study intended to evaluate the efficiency associated with the use of nanoparticles, sulfates, and zinc-chelates in Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Strike grown in acid soil, as well as to evaluate its production, total biomass, and nitrogen assimilation. Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Strike plants were sprouted and grown in polyethylene bags containing 3 kg of acid soil (pH 6.8) in an experimental greenhouse and were watered with a nutritious solution. A completely randomized design including ten treatments and five repetitions was used. Treatments consisted of applying different zinc sources (sulfate, DTPA chelate, and zinc oxide nanoparticles) to four different doses (0, 25, 50, and 100 ppm of zinc). Results obtained indicated that the doses best favoring an increase in biomass, production, and nitrogen assimilation were 50 ppm of ZnSO₄, 100 ppm of DTPA-Zn, and 25 ppm of zinc oxide nanofertilizers (NfsOZn). Hence, the dose containing 25 ppm of NfsOZn was the most efficient dose, since at a lower dose it was able to equalize biomass accumulation, production, and nitrogen assimilation as compared to ZnSO₄ and DTPA-Zn sources. However, further research is required, given that high-concentration doses were toxic for beans. Finally, it is worth highlighting that zinc oxide nanoparticles have a huge potential to be used as nanofertilizers if applied in optimal concentrations.

The increase in the cost of fertilizers and their low efficiency has led, through nanotechnology, to the generation of new innovative products that are sustainable and improve the productivity of crops. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a molybdenum nanofertilizer compared to two conventional fertilizers (chelate and sodium molybdate) applied via foliar combined with soil fertilization of NH₄NO₃ in relation to the Nitrogen Use Efficiency, growth and yield in green bean cv. Strike. Green bean plants cv. Strike were cultivated under controlled conditions in an experimental greenhouse and irrigated with nutrient solution. The treatments consisted of the foliar application of three Mo sources (Nano fertilizer, Mo Chelate and Sodium Molybdate) in four doses 0, 5, 10 and 20 ppm Mo, complemented with the edaphic application of four doses of NH₄NO₃ (0, 3, 6 and 12 mM of N). The results obtained indicate that the highest accumulation of biomass and yield were obtained with the application of NanoMo, with increases in biomass of 24.31% and 36.47% more in yield with respect to Chelate and Molybdate. Finally, it is concluded that the application of NanoMo improves the assimilation and efficiency of nitrogen use, reducing excessive applications of nitrogenous fertilizers without affecting the yield of the green bean crop.

The foliar analysis is a useful tool to detect the nutritional status of plants, predict future problems in the reproductive cycles of fruit production and implement preventive and corrective measures to achieve a mineral balance in fruit trees, obtaining higher productivity. There is little information available on nutrient sufficiency ranges in pomegranate leaf and the literature reported differs due to diverse cultivation practices, cultivars, and agroecological conditions. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the mineral content of ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate leaves for each the nutritional elements and the cation balance, and to establish the nutritional standards using Integrated Differential Diagnosis (IDD). The mineral content of the pomegranate leaves was determined and based on the results, nutritional standards for macro elements, cation balance and microelements were generated through the IDD, which evaluate whether there are mineral and/or physiological imbalances. The macro elements in the cultivation of the pomegranate were the following: NO3 3747.5 µg g-1, Total Nitrogen 1.35%, P 0.14%, K 0.88%, Ca 1.65%, Mg 0.19%, Na 0.006%. For the cation balance, the optimal values ​​were: (Ca+Mg)/K 4.48 mEq 100 g-1, Ca/(K+Mg) 2.13 mEq 100 g-1, Mg/(K+Ca) 0.16 mEq 100 g-1, Ca/Mg 5.06 mEq 100 g-1, K/Mg 1.36 mEq 100 g-1. Finally, the optimal values ​​for the microelements were: Fe 59.5 µg g-1, Mn 31.4 µg g-1, Zn 6.3 µg g-1, Cu 6.1 µg g-1. The values ​​obtained for the micro and macro elements were like those reported. In the case of cation balance and foliar nitrate content, they have not been previously reported. The IDD is a promising and effective auxiliary tool to characterize the nutritional status of pomegranate trees and, in turn, an alternative to conventional methods of nutritional diagnosis with the advantage of establishing a nutritional deficiency (soil-plant relationship) or a physiological imbalance (relation plant - climate) for this crop.

Most crops are fertilized with high amounts of nitrogen, and have an alarmingly low utilization efficiency. For this reason, the coordination between the fertilizer contribution and the nitrogen requirements of the crop is very important. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to establish new indices to determine nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and to define the amount of assimilated nitrogen, which is used for the formation of green bean plant organs, fertilized with molybdenum nanofertilizer applied foliarly, and combined with edaphic fertilization of ammonium nitrate. The plants were grown in a greenhouse covered with anti-aphid mesh and irrigated with nutrient solution. Three sources of foliar molybdenum (Nanofertilizer, molybdenum Chelate and Sodium Molybdate) were applied in four doses of 0, 5, 10 and 20 ppm Mo, complemented with edaphic fertilization of NH₄NO₃ (0, 3, 6 and 12 mM of N). As results, the NUE indices showed that with the application of the nanofertilizer, the total biomass production increased 41.65% more than with the application of the chelate, and 36.84% more than with the application of molybdate. In summary, the dose that presented the highest efficiency was 6 mM-N with 10 ppm-Mo. Finally, it is concluded that the use of NUE indices is an important approach that evaluates the fate of nitrogen and accurately estimates plant yield.

With the purpose of finding plant compounds with the potential use as herbicides and insecticides, a research was realized with the objective of evaluate the phytotoxic and dissuasive activity of four Chihuahua desert plants. The phytotoxic activity evaluation was tested on Lactuca sativa and Lolium perenne, while the dissuasive activity was realized on three species of phytophagous insects: Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi and Spodoptera littoralis. Raw extracts were used, the solvents hexane, methanol and ethanol of different plants’ organs (root, steam, leaf and flower) of four species: Fouquieria splendens (ocotillo), Larrea tridentate (governor), Astragalus mollissimus (wild grass) and Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum (echo), by the establishment of in vitro bioassays at a concentration of 10 mg/ml extract/solvent. In the toxicity bioassay, the percentage of germination, root and leaf length were measured. The results showed that the leaf extract of L. tridentata had phytotoxic activity for L. sativa, while for L. perenne the phytotoxicity was observed within the ocotillo, governor and echo extracts. In the dissuasive bioassay, each treatment had 20 repetitions with 10 adult insects per repetition. The methanolic extracts of F. splendens leaf and root, ethanolic extract of A. mollisimus sheet and the ethanolic extract of P. pecten-aboriginum stems showed moderate dissuasive response of feeding against M. persicae, presenting a settlement inhibition index of 53.53, 54.35, 60.00 and 48.84% respectively. Nevertheless, the results indicated that none of the 10 extracts tested on S. littoralis showed significant dissuasive properties for this Lepidoptera, while for R. padi all the tested extracts presented dissuasive properties. The treatments of the four vegetable species evaluated showed defensive or dissuasive properties of moderate to strong feeding against the insects M. persicae and R. padi, presenting interesting potential for being used as insecticides, while the tested extracts that presented phytotoxicity for both lettuce and ryegrass present possibilities for the realization of herbicides.

This study evaluated the effect of soil and foliar fertilization with nitrogen (N), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), and their combination (Zn-Mo) on nutrition, enzymatic activity, photosynthetic pigments, and productive parameters in the Western Schley pecan tree. An orthogonal Taguchi L16 design was used with differentiated soil and foliar nitrate concentrations, reaching an average of 1557.7 mg kg⁻¹, and increasing up to 1907 mg kg⁻¹ depending on the fertilization dose. Nitrate reductase activity (NRNO₃⁻) significantly increased with N and Mo applications, reaching a maximum of 13.62 µmol. Among photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a was the only variable with a significant response, highlighting the role of Mo in its enhancement. Positive effects were also observed on pomological traits such as yield (up to 425 kg ha⁻¹), nut weight, and kernel percentage with increased doses of N and Mo. In conclusion, combined fertilization improved the nutritional status, physiological responses, and productivity of pecan trees, emphasizing the importance of balanced nutrient management to avoid nutritional antagonisms and to optimize both yield and fruit quality.