The tomato is a widely cultivated and consumed vegetable globally. Comarca Lagunera is an important tomato-exporting region of Mexico. Salinity is an abiotic factor that reduces productivity and increases production costs. To advance growing period, there is high demand for the sustainable production of seedlings. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are characterized by improving plant growth through different mechanisms and can be an option for reducing the misuse of chemical fertilizers. The importance of the application of strains, evaluating various inoculation methods (in seed, soil, foliar spraying, and root immersion), should be evaluated to propose biofertilization packages in a specific crop. Thus, the study aimed to determine the effect of PGPR (Bacillus paralicheniformis, Acinetobacter guillouiae, Aeromonas caviae, and Pseudomonas lini) vs. nutrient solution and distilled water in the seedlings stage of saladette-type tomato on morphophysiological variables, nitrate reductase (NR) enzyme activity, and plant minerals via tissue analysis under greenhouse conditions. The four PGPR were inoculated by different methods (inoculation in seed, sprinkling, and both) in saladette-type tomato seedlings under greenhouse conditions and evaluated in vivo 40 days after sowing for morphophysiological variables, such as seedling height; stem diameter; root displaced volume; fresh and dry weight matter of the leaves, stems, and roots; leaf area; and nitrate reductase enzyme activity. The effect of the inoculation of PGPR showed significant results for Pseudomonas lini vs. the control, with 40% higher values, on average, for plant height, stem diameter, displaced root volume, and fresh weight of root, leaf, and stem. The response of enzymatic and mineral content in seedlings was variable with nutrient solution and significant with distilled water. Studies related to the promotion of plants in the subsequent phenological stages of a tomato, considering the selected PGPR, should be considered in future research.

El aprovechamiento de los residuos en los sistemas de producción agrícola, exige el utilizar diferentes abonos orgánicos para encontrar los niveles de aplicación y sus posibles combinaciones que produzcan cultivos de calidad. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar los efectos del estiércol bovino (EB) y vermicompost (V) en el suelo, así como el resultado positivo en la producción de sandía. Se aplicó EB y V en el mismo sitio experimental dos ciclos continuos (2013-2014), para EB en los niveles de 0, 40, 60 y 80 Mg ha-1, considerando fertilización química (FQ) para la Comarca Lagunera 120-60-00 y para V 0, 3.0, 6.0 y 9.0 Mg ha-1. Se tomaron muestras de suelo al inicio y al término de cada año a tres profundidades tomando en consideración el área radicular de la planta y el bulbo de humedad 0-15, 15-30 y 30-45 cm, evaluando materia orgánica (MO), pH, conductividad eléctrica (CE) y nitratos (NO3-). En el fruto se evaluaron los sólidos solubles totales (°Bx) y el rendimiento. Los contenidos mayores de MO (3.23% en el 2013) y NO3- (41.4 kg ha-1 en el 2014) se encontraron de 0-15 cm con la interacción de 80 Mg ha-1 de EB y 9.0 Mg ha-1 de V. La CE se incrementó hasta 6.6 dS m-1 de 0-15 cm lo que implicó, después de dos ciclos de aplicación la disminución en el rendimiento hasta 66.1% en los niveles de 80 Mg ha-1 de EB y 3.0 Mg ha-1 de V. En el 2014 se encontró diferencias para el rendimiento y los °Bx. En el 2014, se obtuvo el mayor rendimiento (29.2 Mg ha-1) concluyendo que la fertilización química (FQ) fue superada por la interacción de EB (80 Mg ha-1) con V (6.0 Mg ha-1), para °Bx igual a 8.4 en la interacción de 60 Mg ha-1 de EB con 9.0 Mg ha-1 de vermicompost.

El tomate es el producto hortícola más cultivado en el mundo, su consumo tiene benef icios a la salud humana por el contenido de antioxidantes. Para satisfacer la demanda mundial de consumo se utilizan sistemas de producción de agricultura protegida con fuentes de fertilización de síntesis química. Debido al costo monetario y ambiental elevado, se deben encontrar fuentes alternas de fertilización como los abonos orgánicos que minimizan el impacto ambiental y genotipos que sean más productivos. Una de esas fuentes es el estiércol bovino, el cual es abundante en la Comarca Lagunera. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la mejor dosis de estiércol solarizado que incremente el rendimiento y la calidad nutraceútica de dos híbridos de tomate bajo condiciones de malla sombra. Los tratamientos correspondieron a un experimento factorial, originados de la combinación de los híbridos de tomate tipo saladette Palermo (Vilmorin®) y Sahariana (Syngenta®) y dosis de estiércol bovino (40, 60 Mg ha-1), así como la fertilización química como control (CQ) (280-50-00 N-P2O5-K2O) con tres repeticiones. Los resultados indican mayor contenido de antioxidantes en frutos de tomate con la interacción de estiércol bovino solarizado (60 Mg ha-1) y el hibrido Palermo. Sin embargo, las variables del suelo (CE, MO, NO3-, NH4+y PO4-3), se incrementaron con las dosis de 40 y 60 Mg ha-1 de estiércol, por lo que se debe monitorear periódicamente el suelo ya que estas dosis pueden inhibir de forma importante el crecimiento vegetal del cultivo. Se obtuvo la mejor respuesta en el contenido de antioxidantes con la interacción del hibrido Palermo y el estiércol bovino, mejorando los compuestos f itoquimicos del fruto de tomate.

Post-harvest losses of ‘Cruiser’ cantaloupe reach ~15% in arid regions of Mexico, representing substantial wasted water and embedded greenhouse-gas emissions. This study presents an open-access, low-temperature maceration protocol for converting cosmetically rejected fruit into a carotenoid-rich spirit at rural scale. A 5-day maceration at 20 °C (15% pulp, 20% v/v ethanol) preserved color, β-carotene, and antioxidant capacity over 90 days of storage. Shelf-life predictions beyond this period are model-based and require long-term validation. Trained assessors characterized the beverage with a favorable aromatic profile driven by fruity esters and floral terpenes. Life-cycle results indicated lower cradle-to-gate impacts than reference mango spirits, and composting of pomace generated a mature soil amendment. A simplified techno-economic scenario suggests potential for rural processing but excludes taxation, licensing, and regulatory compliance; thus, economic feasibility cannot yet be confirmed. Overall, this study provides a proof-of-concept pathway for valorizing cantaloupe waste through low-temperature maceration and identifies critical analytical, regulatory, and economic aspects needed for future scale-up.

Second-grade watermelons are a lycopene-rich by-product currently discarded despite their potential for valorization. This study aimed to develop a consumer-accepted alcoholic liqueur by alcoholic maceration of watermelon pulp, optimizing the formulation for lycopene retention, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality. Three pulp ratios (15, 20, and 25% v/v) were macerated in 39% v/v cane alcohol for 5 days at 20 °C. The 20% pulp formulation (T2) achieved the best balance of lycopene (8.6 mg L⁻¹), DPPH antioxidant activity (580 µmol TE L⁻¹), redness (CIE a* = 14.1), and overall acceptability (7.6/9). Under nitrogen-flushed amber glass, T2 retained ≥82% lycopene and ≤10% antioxidant loss after 90 days at 20 °C, following first-order degradation kinetics (Ea = 43 kJ mol⁻¹). A minimum shelf-life of three months is projected under these experimental conditions. Life-cycle screening indicates 0.84 kg CO₂-eq L⁻¹, with a 1.9-year payback and 1.7 t CO₂-eq savings per ton of rescued fruit compared to landfill. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of producing a shelf-stable, naturally colored craft spirit with watermelon flavor, aligning with consumer preferences and circular economy principles in the alcoholic beverage sector.

Iodine is not considered an essential nutrient for terrestrial plants like tomato. However, it can increase the concentration of secondary metabolites as a reactive mechanism to oxidative stress in tomato fruit. In humans, iodine is essential for thyroid metabolism and the development of cognitive abilities, being associated with lower risks of certain types of cancer. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of foliar applications of iodine on the yield, commercial and nutraceutical quality, and iodine concentration in tomato fruits. The treatments were five increasing concentrations of potassium iodide (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 uM L-1). The results showed that the foliar application of high doses of iodine improved crop yield, but had no influence on some commercial quality variables, such as soluble solids and firmness. Nutraceutical quality concentrations improved, except for lycopene content, which decreased with foliar applications of iodine. Therefore, iodine biofortification can be a viable alternative to improve the nutritional quality of tomato fruits, being a potential strategy to reduce or prevent iodine deficiency.