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This paper investigates how some small-scale palm oil growers in northeast Colombia have managed to exercise partial autonomy from global markets while still participating in them. By comparing the varied experiences of these farmers, I find that, state-led land access and multiscale organizational support for small-scale farming have enabled these farmers to selectively engage with global markets and carve-out space for autonomous decision-making on their farms. By examining the risks and possibilities associated with farmers' engagement in global value chains, this study illuminates the potential for agricultural transitions and small-scale farming within the context of global agricultural markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a significant constraint on agricultural practices, particularly in Colombia, where numerous palm cultivators rely on rainfed systems for their plantations. Identifying drought-tolerant cultivars becomes pivotal to mitigating the detrimental impacts of water stress on growth and productivity. This study scrutinizes the variability in drought responses of growth, physiological, and biochemical variables integral to selecting drought-tolerant oil palm cultivars in the nursery. A comprehensive dataset was compiled by subjecting seedlings of eleven cultivars to four soil water potentials (−0.05 MPa, −0.5 MPa, −1 MPa, and −2 MPa) over 60 days. This dataset encompasses growth attributes, photosynthetic parameters like maximum quantum yield and electron transfer rate, gas exchange (photosynthesis, transpiration, and water use efficiency), levels of osmolytes (proline and sugars), abscisic acid (ABA) content, as well as antioxidant-related enzymes, including peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) elucidated two principal components that account for approximately 65% of the cumulative variance. Noteworthy enzyme activity was detected for glutathione reductase and ascorbate peroxidase. When juxtaposed with the other evaluated cultivars, one of the cultivars (IRHO 7001) exhibited the most robust response to water deficit. The six characteristics evaluated (photosynthesis, predawn water potential, proline, transpiration, catalase activity, sugars) were determined to be the most discriminant when selecting palm oil cultivars with tolerance to water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-based monitoring provides insights on synergies and trade-offs between energy production and land use and land cover (LULC) changes (LULCC) around hydropower dams. Using Landsat data, we mapped LULCC related to hydropower expansion to understand change dynamics of cash crop production in the Magdalena River basin (Colombian Andes). We leveraged secondary map products and an active learning routine to produce thematically detailed LULC maps, for 2009, 2015, and 2020, including key cash crops (rice and oil palm). Our area-adjusted accuracy assessment revealed high overall and class-specific user's and producer's accuracies, exceeding 80% for oil palm, rice, non-agricultural vegetation, wetlands, and grasslands, and accuracies of ~60% for other temporary and permanent crops. We identified substantial losses of rice (10,6%) and grasslands (25,9%) in El Quimbo due to reservoir flooding. For Hidrosogamoso, there was a loss of wetlands downstream. Our products provide the basis for balancing social, economic, and environmental trade-offs related to conflicting land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophthora palmivora has caused disease in many crops including oil palm in the South America region. The pathogen has had a significant economic impact on oil palm cultivation in Colombia, and therefore poses a threat to oil palm cultivation in other regions of the World, especially in Southeast Asia, the largest producer of the crop. This study aimed to look at the ability of isolates from Malaysia, Colombia, and other regions to cross-infect Malaysian oil palm, durian, and cocoa and to develop specific biomarkers and assays for identification, detection, and diagnosis of P. palmivora as a key component for the oil palm biosecurity continuum in order to contain the disease especially at the ports of entry. We have developed specific molecular biomarkers to identify and detect Phytophthora palmivora using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time loop mediated isothermal amplification (rt-LAMP) in various sample types such as soil and plants. The limit of detection (DNA template, pure culture assay) for the PCR assay is 5.94 × 10−2 ng µl−1 and for rt-LAMP is 9.28 × 10−4 ng µl−1. Diagnosis using rt-LAMP can be achieved within 30 min of incubation. In addition, PCR primer pair AV3F/AV3R developed successfully distinguished the Colombian and Malaysian P. palmivora isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, plantings with the oil palm hybrid between Elaeis oleifera × Elaeis guineensis, known as O × G hybrid, have increased due to its tolerance to bud rot. Despite this, different degrees of foliar necrosis, chlorosis, and leaf blight have been reported in some cultivars; therefore, this work aimed to diagnose this problem. We visited plantation plots with palms exhibiting the mentioned symptoms and collected 21 samples of affected tissues in different disease states. The affected tissues were examined and seeded in a culture medium. Pathogenicity tests were performed and the isolates were characterized by culture and morphological and molecular features. Curvularia, Colletotrichum, Phoma, and 25 Pestalotiopsis-like fungi were isolated from the foliar lesions. In the pathogenicity tests, the symptoms observed in the field were reproduced with MFTU01-1, MFTU12, and MFTU21 isolates, which were identified at the species level through a sequence analysis of three genes (ITS, TUB2, and TEF1-α) as Pestalotiopsis arengae with an identical level of 99% based on the results of BLAST and phylogenetic tree analyses. The remaining 22 Pestalotiopsis-like non-pathogenic isolates were identified as species of Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis. The direct association of P. arengae with the disease was confirmed via molecular detection in affected tissues in 15 of 21 samples collected for this evaluation. This is the first report of P. arengae as the causal agent of foliar lesions in O × G hybrid oil palm in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the productive transformation and its links with food insecurity in rural communities affected by internal armed conflicts. The case of Maria La Baja, a municipality of agroecological riches in the Montes de María, is examined, one of the most affected region by prolonged civil armed conflict in Colombia. Quantitative analysis is used to verify the intertemporal relationships between the conflict facts and the expansion and concentration of oil palm crops, in detriment of food production and its access. Participatory diagnostic methods are applied to peasants, producers and other social actors, to document the role of the armed actors before the agro-industrial expansion, and their incidence on food accessing. Expansion in agro-industrial production in María La Baja is strongly related with violent acts of armed conflict and with reduced peasant production, restricting availability of food. This work contributes to the discussion by valuing the territorial visions that helps to understand the nature of the productive transformations generated by agribusiness public policies that reduced autonomy and food self-sufficiency in peasant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces how anti-union violence in Colombia's Magdalena Medio region in the 1980s and 1990s continues to influence the current structure of palm oil production in the region. It examines how this violence altered labor relations and transformed the palm oil value chain over the long run. The combined effects of multiple labor control strategies have weakened the power of workers and their ability to influence decisions about how palm oil production operates. In this case, the labor coercion practices of the 1980s and 1990s diminished the associational power of workers and, in the long run, facilitated labor flexibilization in the industry. As a result, it limited the structural power of unions until today. This analysis builds a dialogue between literatures on global value chains and critical agrarian studies to identify how anti-union violence has facilitated labor flexibilization in the palm industry and thus has shaped agrifood systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Colombia currently has 595,722 oil palm-cultivated hectares, but production is declining due to phytophagous insects feeding mainly on the leaves; one of them, Durrantia arcanella, is a recurring pest in the northern palm zone of Colombia, for which we do not have all the essential information. Therefore, it was proposed to determine its biology, foliar consumption rate, population fluctuation, and relationship with climatic variables and to identify its main natural enemies in the department of Cesar. The life cycle under laboratory conditions, including adult longevity, was 48.0 ± 10.1 days, the egg stage lasted 8.0 ± 0.7 days, the larva stage lasted 24.2 ± 6.2 days, the pre-pupa stage lasted 1.5 ± 0.5 days, the pupa stage lasted 7.1 ± 0.9 and the adult had a longevity of 7.2 ± 2.0 days. At the end of the larval period, it was determined that they individually consumed 8.2 ± 5.3 cm2 of leaflets. Correlation was found between D. arcanella population dynamics and climatic factors such as temperature and relative humidity, likewise with natural enemies. Durrantia arcanella is a recurring pest insect of oil palm in Colombia. Because the biology and ecology of D. arcanella are unknown, it was proposed to determine the life cycle and foliar consumption under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, through sequential sampling for two and a half years, its population fluctuation and natural enemies were determined in Agustín Codazzi and El Copey (Cesar, Colombia). Also, temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity were registered. The life cycle of D. arcanella lasted 48.0 ± 10.1 days, the egg 8.0 ± 0.7 days, larva 24.2 ± 6.2 days, pre-pupa 1.5 ± 0.5 days, pupa 7.1 ± 0.9 days, and adult 7.2 ± 2.0 days. The larvae consumed 8.2 ± 5.3 cm2 of leaflets. Correlations were found between the population fluctuation in D. arcanella and the temperature in El Copey (ρ = −0.45; p < 0.0043), relative humidity in Codazzi (ρ = 0.33; p < 0.034), and with the natural control in both locations ((ρ = 0, 61; p < 0.000044) and (ρ = 0.42; p < 0.006)). These results suggest monitoring the pest populations in the second semester of the year and show the importance of promoting native natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adult Strategus aloeus (L.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini) is a pest insect that causes damage in young oil palm plantations in Colombia. The indiscriminate use of insecticides for their control affects the beneficial fauna of the agroecosystem, reducing their populations. Therefore, it is essential to identify S. aloeus native enemies and establish their importance in regulating pest populations. Sampling was performed every 20 d for 3 yrs in plots with decomposing stipes in 3 plantations of the central zone (Colombia). The predator Phileurus didymus (L.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini) was found in 64.7% of the collected samples. Strategus aloeus larvae, pupae, and adults also were naturally infected by the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes). Under laboratory conditions, adults of P. didymus caused the death of S. aloeus larvae 3 to 7 mins after finding their prey, taking 6 to 36 mins to consume the larvae. The percentage predation of S. aloeus larvae by P. didymus was a function of exposure time. At 24 h of exposure, approximately 81.3% of the population was predated. Due to the presence within the agroecosystem of the oil palm, the habits of oviposition, the search factor, and the predation capacity, this natural enemy (P. didymus) should have strong effects on the regulation of the populations of S. aloeus in oil palm cultivation. El adulto Strategus aloeus (L.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini) es un insecto plaga que causa daños en plantaciones jóvenes de palma de aceite en Colombia. El uso indiscriminado de insecticidas utilizado para su control afecta a la fauna benéfica presente en el agroecosistema que regula sus poblaciones. Por lo tanto, es fundamental identificar a los enemigos nativos de S. aloeus y establecer su importancia en la regulación de las poblaciones de la plaga. Se realizaron muestreos cada 20 días durante 3 años en parcelas con estípites en proceso de descomposición de 3 plantaciones de la zona central (Colombia). El depredador Phileurus didymus (L.) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Oryctini) se encontró en el 64,7% de las muestras colectadas. Las larvas, pupas y adultos de S. aloeus fueron infectados naturalmente por el hongo Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes). En condiciones de laboratorio, los adultos de P. didymus causaron la muerte de las larvas de S. aloeus después de 3 a 7 mins de encontrar su presa, tardaron entre 6 a 36 mins en consumir las larvas. El porcentaje de depredación de las larvas de S. aloeus por P. didymus estuvo en función del tiempo de exposición. A las 24 h de exposición, aproximadamente el 81,3% de la población fue depredada. Debido a su presencia dentro del agroecosistema del cultivo de palma de aceite, a los hábitos de oviposición, al factor de búsqueda y la capacidad de depredación, este enemigo natural (P. didymus) debería tener fuertes efectos en la regulación de las poblaciones de S. aloeus en el cultivo de palma de aceite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the current scenario and the main uncertainties and challenges associated with implementing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in Colombia, from which it determines the possible certified technologies under the ASTM D 7566 standard as well as co-processing technologies contemplated within the ASTM D 1655 standard, more suitable for the implementation of SAF production. Likewise, through the PESTEL tool (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal), a diagnosis is made in order to obtain an updated overview of the implementation of SAF in Colombia. Based on the above, it provides recommendations to mitigate the uncertainties identified, and it is complemented by the ECOCANVAS tool, which applies to businesses related to the circular economy, and also include the net production potential of SAF in Colombia, considering the production of feedstock, in agricultural residue of sugarcane, oil palm, corn, and coffee. This study concludes with some policy recommendations that can make SAF implementation viable and allow responsible institutions to organize themselves for better strategic action and identify the fields of research and the need for investment in R + D + i to strengthen the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I argue that the cumulative effects of coercive and indirect labour discipline enable firms to reorganize production. Through a historical analysis of the palm oil industry in northeastern Colombia, I identify changing forms of value chain governance in relation to transformations in labour control regimes. The combined effects of multiple labour control strategies have weakened labour power and workers' overall possibilities to shape value chain governance. In this case, labour coercion directly diminished workers' associational power and enabled labour flexibilization in the industry, limiting workers' structural power. A dialogue between the Global Value Chains framework and Critical Agrarian Studies, with a focus on labour regimes, highlights that labour flexibilization can build on past instances of coercive control to transform the structure of a value chain. This research illustrates that coercion is not necessarily "extra‐economic" but is often intrinsic to the organization of the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this research study is to characterize the gasification of oil-palm frond and trunk obtained as residual biomass from oil-palm crops by using air as a gasifying agent. Screening type experimentation is applied by using a downflow free-fall reactor. At 800°C and 0.24 equivalence relation (ER), the results for oil-palm frond show a yield of 1.85 Nm3 gas/kg dry biomass and a heating value of 4.08 MJ/Nm³. For oil-palm trunk, the yield is 1.30 Nm3 gas/kg dry biomass and the heating value is 4.56 MJ/Nm³. The gas obtained has the potential to generate 1.05 kW-h/kg dry biomass for oil-palm frond and 0.90 kW-h/kg of dry biomass for oil-palm trunk. In conclusion, energetic utilization of residual biomass (fronds and trunks) should be explored in Colombia to optimize oil-palm economic and environmental production processes in a circular economy scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revenue, especially that from agricultural crops, has been considered fundamental for the development of state capacity. While existing research has mostly focused on dynamics of violence, we know less about the impact of commodities shocks on a key dimension of state power: property taxation. In this article, I explore how and why land-based coalitions —alliances between landowners and paramilitaries around the appropriation of land—undermine taxation during civil conflict. Focusing on the expansion of oil palm in Colombia and using a difference-in-differences design, I leverage the international price of oil palm and municipal variation in crop suitability. I find that, in municipalities with higher paramilitary violence and land concentration, the palm shock was associated with lower taxation, outdated cadastral information, and lower land values. This article underscores the deleterious consequences of land inequality for the state's extractive capacity even in moments of agricultural abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of breeding programs depends on the available genetic variability and the adequate selection of parents to produce seeds that generate added value to the developed cultivars that solve limiting problems of the crops. The determination of genetic gain is a powerful tool to advance the selection of outstanding progenitors that are subsequently used to obtain improved cultivars for traits of interest. With the main objective of calculating the genetic gain in different cycles, this research evaluated the yield, vegetative parameters, and oil production components in two oil palm populations identified as C0-Monterrey and C1-Vizcaina. The analysis was carried out using the analysis of variance. Genetic variation and heritability coefficients for all the evaluated traits were also calculated to obtain the components of phenotypic, genotypic, and environmental variation. Genetic gains (Δg) were more representative in the yield traits of fresh fruit bunches, with 19%, for the number of bunches per plant, with a Δg of 18.7%, and for the oil to bunch with a Δg of 6%. Low environmental influences were observed in the phenotypic variation for the different traits evaluated. Finally, high heritability values were observed for genetic traits such as height increase, with 93%, and average bunch weight, with 85%. The development of new progenies using elite dura-type female parents derived from these evaluated populations, with excellent yields of fresh fruit, bunch components, and slow growth, will be the future of oil palm cultivation. In the meantime, progeny trials must focus on improving the ability to select outstanding parents for the best DxP progenies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labor shortages are increasingly problematic in rural areas worldwide and, in particular, in the oil palm sector in Colombia. Therefore, alternative methods and systems that increase labor productivity, such as using machines for collecting and lifting fresh fruit bunches (FFB), are needed. In oil palm cultivation, the most labor-intensive process is harvesting. We aimed to assess the labor productivity (in t · FFB/person/day) of three harvesting systems using mechanized lifting systems (harvest A: manual cutting, manual harvesting using meshes, carts, and livestock and lifting using a hydraulic arm; harvest B: manual cutting, manual harvest using a tractor, and lifting using a side-turning container; and harvest C: manual cutting, mechanized harvest using a tractor-grabber, and lifting using a side-turning container). Two bunch density scenarios were considered. Data were collected from adult palm crops in three oil palm plantations in the Eastern Plains of Colombia, and similar crop yields were obtained. Labor productivity was 1.20–2.53 t · FFB/person/day depending on the FFB density and the harvest system. Finally, the cost per ton harvested was $ 8.9–$ 16.6 per ton, being lower in the systems that demanded fewer personnel. The highest labor productivity and the lowest cost per ton harvested were obtained for harvest C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm is the most important oil crop worldwide. Colombia is the fourth largest producer, primarily relying on production from interspecific hybrids, derived from crosses between Elaeis oleifera and Elaeis guineensis (OxG). However, conventional breeding can take up to 20 years to generate a new variety. Therefore, reducing the breeding cycle while improving the genetic gain for complex traits is desirable. Genomic selection (GS) is an approach with the potential to achieve this goal. In this study, we evaluated 431 F1 interspecific hybrids (OxG) and 444 backcrosses (BC1) for morphological and yield-related traits. Genomic predictions were performed with the G-BLUP model using three different population datasets for training the model: the same population (TRN1), the other population (TRN2), and both populations (TRN1+2). Higher multi-family prediction accuracies were obtained for foliar area (0.3 in OxG) and trunk height (0.47 in BC1) when the model was trained with TRN1. Single-family prediction accuracies were lower in the OxG compared to BC1 families for traits such as trunk diameter, trunk height, bunch number, and yield using TRN1. Conversely, lower prediction accuracies were obtained for most traits when the model was trained using TRN2 (< 0.1). Multi-trait models showed a substantial increase of the predictions for traits such as yield (0.22 for OxG and 0.44 for BC1), because of the genetic correlations between traits. The results herein highlighted the potential of GS for parental selection in OxG and BC1 populations, but further studies are required to improve the models to select individuals by their genetic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia's Caribbean region, where Black Diaspora agrarian spaces have been overtaken by oil palm plantations, access to safe drinking water has become increasingly difficult. Leticia is a water spring located in this historical afro descendant territory. Leticia's near exhaustion in 2015 as a consequence of oil palm encroachment caused little public outrage even though nearby communities have depended on its waters for decades. Some residents explained their response to Leticia's fate as acostumbrarse or "getting used to" these forms of harm. While such responses are often discounted as expressions of "giving up," we argue that acostumbrarse to Leticia's precarity expresses self-affirmation that overflows liberal notions of resistance. In conversation with Black and Caribbean Studies intellect and poetics, we first problematize how dominant ways of writing about black harm not only reproduce anti-black violence but also neglect the desires of quiet sovereignty in the experience of harm. Second, we re-story Leticia's sociality as immanent and acostumbrarse as a collective politics of perseverance that ebbs and flows in this hydro-sociality. Our goal is to open space for noticing and storying quiet responses such as acostumbrarse as an opaque politics of perseverance, forming and reforming through recurring and punctuated experiences of both life and death, harm and collective self-affirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Farmers in Colombia have faced economic instability due to a long-lasting armed conflict. An attempt to support the rural community has been through the creation of productive alliances – a strategic association between small-scale producers and anchor companies with the assistance of the private and public sectors. By closely examining the Association of Guarupay Palm Growers (ASOPAY)'s financial cash flows, this study investigates the challenges faced by small-scale agribusinesses in an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach: This study addresses the situation of ASOPAY, an oil palm productive alliance formed by families displaced by the Colombian armed conflict and relocated in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains. By closely examining ASOPAY's financial flows, the article sheds light on the economic incentives enhancing the cohesion of the small-farmers' association. Findings: A key finding is the critical role played by institutional efforts focused by promoting policies to enhance producers income. In addition, technological transfers made through technical assistance programs may improve the association's profitability by enhancing agronomic practices, while decreasing palm mortality and disease incidence. Research limitations/implications: The relatively small sample used in the study might rise concerns regarding the generalization of the outcomes. However, the authors implemented strategies to overcome these limitations by incorporating the inputs from experts on the oil palm supply chain in Colombia and from experts in rural development. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study analyzing the financial success of small farmers in post-conflict zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agronomía Colombiana is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using chemical insecticides in IPM is possible and could be sustainable. To find a sustainable alternative to control S. impressella, we assessed the biological activities of five commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis. First, these formulations were evaluated under laboratory conditions. No differences were observed between the commercial formulations Bt_A_1, BT_K_2, and Bt_K_3. Then, the three formulations were compared in further experiments. This bioassay was performed under field conditions in palms naturally infested by S. impressella, and differences in larval mortality rates were observed between commercial formulations. The mortality rates caused by Bt_A_1 and BT_K_3 did not significantly differ. The third step evaluated different doses of Bt_A_1 and BT_K_3 formulations (250, 500, 750, and 1000 g/Ha) under field conditions. Seven days after spraying, differences were only observed between Bt_A_1 and BT_K_3 and the control. Finally, these two formulations were evaluated under field conditions. The mortality rates caused by Bt_A_1 and BT_K_3 were 77.2% and 85.3%, respectively. These findings show that commercial formulations of B. thuringiensis subsp. aizawai (Bt_A_1) and B. thuringiensis var. aizawai (BT_K_3) exhibit high biological activities against S. impressella larvae and can be included in the integrated management of S. impressella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basal stem rot (BSR), caused by Ganoderma spp., is one of the most important emerging oil palm diseases in Colombia, and is restricted to two oil palm production areas in the country. To identify the causal agent of the disease, basidiocarp of oil palms affected by BSR were used to prepare isolates, and their pathogenicity was then assessed in pre-nursery plants. Four-month-old oil palm seedlings were inoculated with rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis) blocks colonized with dikaryotic mycelia of Ganoderma. The incidence, severity, and symptoms of the pathogen were assessed. A multiregional analysis (ITS, rpb2, and tef1-α) was carried out to identify the isolates; all isolates were determined to be Ganoderma zonatum. Phylogenetic analyses with the three regions yielded concordant phylogenetic information and supported the distinction of the isolates with high bootstrap support. Seven isolates (CPBsZN-01-29, CPBsZN-02-30, CPBsZN-03-31, CPBsZN-04-34, CPBsZN-05-35, CPBsZN-06-36, and CPBsZN-07-38) were pathogenic in oil palm, with incidences greater than 90% and a maximum severity of 34%, and the highest severity index was found in isolates CPBsZN-03-31, CPBsZN-04-34, and CPBsZN-06-36. The pathogen was recovered from inoculated oil palms in all cases. This study reveals the pathogenic association of Ganoderma zonatum with BSR in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current demand for water resources is on the rise worldwide; in addition, 70% of the water used is invested in agricultural production. Thus, many investigations are focused on applying indicators to evaluate water consumption and identifying other indicators, such as the water footprint. The purpose of this article is to estimate water consumption (L/kg) for the production of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) at a subregional scale (Piedemonte Llanero from Colombia) as a tool that contributes to decision-making. The demand for the water footprint was estimated using the Global Standard for the Evaluation of the Water Footprint. Among the relevant results, 71% of the water used corresponded to the green water footprint, and the Piedemonte Llanero subregion has comparative advantages to other regions due to its climate, which makes it suitable for the development of this crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil palm interspecific hybrids Elaeis oleífera × Elaeis guineensis (O × G) are grown across approximately 68,000 hectares in Colombia. To address the limited natural pollination capacity of O × G hybrids and the difficulties associated with assisted pollination regarding the timing of E. guineensis pollen application, the Colombian Oil Palm Research Center (Cenipalma) conducted studies on induction of parthenocarpic fruits. Cenipalma confirmed that application of 1,200 ppm of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at different phenological stages enabled the formation of parthenocarpic fruits. This technological advance was termed artificial pollination. This paper presents the results from a research study aimed at assessing the labor productivity for two methods of NAA application (NAA in solid mixture and NAA in liquid suspension). From a methodological standpoint, a time and motion study was conducted to assess labor productivity for each NAA application method, with time data collected using the software Cybertracker on a mobile platform (smartphone). The results indicated that a worker can cover 3.9 hectares in a working day and sprinkle 303 inflorescences in a working day when applying NAA in solid mixture. On the other hand, when applying NAA in liquid suspension, the worker can cover 3.2 hectares and sprinkle 315 inflorescences (i.e. in a working day). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first article presents research on the effect of temperature fluctuations on the quality of rice seeds in the Mojana region in Colombia. Significant differences were found in plant height, root length, and dry mass due to daytime temperature, while nighttime temperature did not have a significant effect on plant height. It was concluded that the quality of rice seeds was affected by temperature fluctuations.The second article presents a new cultivar of sweet pepper called 'AGROSAVIA Tropical' and provides planting recommendations for the Caribbean region of Colombia. It was found that higher planting densities statistically outperformed conventional planting density in terms of yield. A planting density of 16,667 plants per hectare is proposed as a technical recommendation for commercial production of the sweet pepper cultivar.The third article deals with the propagation of Tahiti lime plants through mini-grafting. It was found that the cleft grafting method was the most effective, followed by the inverted T method, while the splice method was unsuccessful. The study demonstrates that mini-grafting using the cleft and inverted T methods is a viable alternative for the propagation of Tahiti lime plants.The fourth article evaluates the genetic diversity of guava in San Antero, Córdoba, using SSR markers. High genetic diversity was found among guava trees, indicating wide genetic variability in the studied population. These results are important for the conservation and improvement of guava in the region.The fifth article analyzes the effect of a spirulina-based extract on the growth of cowpea and determines the hormesis effect of glyphosate on the development of cowpea plants. Increased growth was observed in plants treated with the spirulina extract, and an increase in plant height and number of nodes was observed in plants treated with the highest dose of glyphosate.The sixth article determines the composition and structure of the understory flora in oil palm plantations in Colombia. 158 plant species from 56 different families were recorded, and it was found that the management of the oil palm understory affects the composition and structure of plant communities associated with the crop.The seventh article studies the biology of Leptopharsa gibbicarina, a pest that affects oil palm trees in Colombia. The life cycle of L. gibbicarina lasts approximately 72 days, and data on the different developmental stages of the pest, individual longevity, and reproduction were obtained.The eighth article focuses on the molecular identification of a cashew clone called Mapiria Ao1 for the purpose of certifying basic orchards. 64 trees corresponding to the Mapiria Ao1 clone, as well as other genotypes, were identified. These results provide certainty about the genetic identity of the trees and their use as a source of buds for the production and commercialization of certified plant material. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Entomología is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new physiopathy in oil palms that has been called "duster" for which at present no causal agent is known, is gaining interest in agronomic research. In 2015 we carried out a count of reproductive structures to evaluate the severity in genetic materials of three different origins in a plantation in Colombia. The aim was to determine the possible relationships between disorder and the presence of reproductive structures. For the data analysis a cluster analysis was performed and then we assessed the relative risk between the state of the disorder, the origin and structures of the plant and we applied a log-linear model to study the dependence between variables classified in clusters: palms showing high fruiting and grouped with low fruiting. We observed that fruiting was not statistically related to the presence of physiopathy. We also observed that Brabanta origin were the least susceptible and showed the best fruiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of animals to adjust their behaviour can influence how they respond to environmental changes and human presence. We quantified activity patterns of terrestrial mammals in oil palm plantations and native riparian forest in Colombia to determine if species exhibited behavioural changes depending on the type of habitat and the presence of humans. Despite the large sampling effort (12,403 camera-days), we were only able to examine the activity patterns of ten species in riparian forests and seven species in oil palm plantations, with four species (capybara, giant anteater, lesser anteater and common opossum) being represented by enough records (i.e. n > 20) in both oil palm and forest to allow robust comparisons. Only capybaras showed an apparent change in activity patterns between oil palm plantations and riparian forests, shifting from being crepuscular in forest to predominantly nocturnal inside oil palm plantations. Further, capybaras, giant anteaters and white-tailed deer appeared to modify their activities to avoid human presence inside oil palm plantations by increasing nocturnality (temporal overlap Δ ^ ranged from 0.13 to 0.36), whereas jaguarundi had high overlap with human activities [ Δ ^ =0.85 (0.61–0.90)]. Species pair-wise analysis within oil palm revealed evidence for temporal segregation between species occupying the same trophic position (e.g. foxes and jaguarundi), whereas some predators and their prey (e.g. ocelots and armadillos) had high overlaps in temporal activity patterns as might be expected. Our findings shed light on the potential behavioural adaptation of mammals to anthropogenic landscapes, a feature not captured in traditional studies that focus on measures such as species richness or abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of microgastrine wasp, Cotesia cassina Salgado-Neto, Vásquez & Whitfield, sp. nov., is described from southwestern Colombia in Tumaco, Nariño. This species is a koinobiont gregarious larval endoparasitoid, and spins a common mass of cocoons underneath the host caterpillars of Opsiphanes cassina (Felder & Felder) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), feeding on oil palm trees (interspecific hybrid Elaeis oleifera x E. guineensis) (Arecaceae). While superficially similar, both morphologically and biologically, to C. invirae Salgado-Neto & Whitfield from southern Brazil, the two species are distinct based on DNA barcodes, host species, geographical range and morphological characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bud Rot Disease (BR), caused by Phytophthora palmivora, affects the yield and survival of oil palm crops in Colombia. With the objective of exploring biological control alternatives to the BR, we evaluated, under in vitro conditions, the antagonistic effect of nine filamentous strains fungi: Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus glaucus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium sp. 01, Penicillium sp. 02, Paecilomyces variotii y Trichoderma sp. against Phytophthora sp., isolated from an oil palm crop, in addition to a control trial. A randomized complete block design with four repetitions was established using the dual culture technique in petri dishes (Ø = 90 mm) with potato dextrose agar. We measured variables such as radial mycelial growth (RMG), mycelial growth rate (MGR), and inhibition percentage (IP), at 96 hours after treatment incubation. The statistical test revealed that Trichoderma sp. and A. niger were the superior trials (p=0,01), exerting 79 and 74 % of IP, respectively, against the oomycete. Furthermore, they restricted the RMG of the pathogen between 2 to 2,3 cm and limited its MGR up to 4 less times than the control trial. Three hierarchical conglomerates were formed according to the nine strains' antagonistic performance confronted with Phytophthora sp. The outstanding isolates have potential as bioregulators of the pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture as a competitive business, seeks to improve productivity within crops with a more sustainable environmental management. It is important that agriculture includes new technologies that allow it to generate differential, precise and real-time information. In Colombia, the current lack of knowledge about techniques that allow early identification of water stress in African palm could generate a loss in the investment made in the fertilization of the crop, cause an increase in diseases, pests, and susceptibility to compaction or abortions in female flowers that would lead to decreases in production. In this work, a predictive model is established to quantify water stress based on spectral, physiological and soil information in African palm plants. To this end, a study was carried out in an oil palm plantation where treatments were established with 3 ranges of humidity. It was found that the indices with the highest correlation with the biophysical variable soil moisture were: NDVI_1 and NDVI_16 for treatment 1, SR_4 for treatment 2 and NDVI_16 and NDVI_20 for treatment 3. Finally, the third order polynomial regression model that obtained higher correlation coefficients of Pearson R^2=0.73 was selected as the most suitable model to estimate soil moisture content for treatments 2 and 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy valorization of biomass is critical to meeting the GHG mitigation goals and supporting the energy transition. The oil palm agroindustry, one of the fastest-growing sectors in Colombian agriculture, is characterized by low-efficiency technologies for bioenergy production. This study assessed four biomass-based energy generation scenarios considering the availability of biomass-based energy applications in backpressure or extraction-condensation turbines and anaerobic digestion systems in 28 palm oil mills, accounting for 68 % of Colombian crude palm oil production. Overall, the four scenarios can support 61–227 MW of electricity, coinciding with 0.4–1.5 % of the national installed capacity, while producing 44 to 222 kWh of surplus electricity per ton of fresh fruit bunch processed, with a levelized cost of electricity between 92.4 and 201.1 USD∙MWh−1 that highlights the economic feasibility. The emission of GHGs accounting for 22.2 to 55.1 g CO2eq per kWh could reduce the national GHG emissions by up to 2.1 %. [Display omitted] • Palm oil mills could support 0.4 %–1.1 % of the national electricity mix. • Anaerobic digestion can account for 28 %–34 % of the electricity surplus. • Palm oil mills could transit from a 40 % electricity deficit to up to a 75 % surplus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colombia is a leading country in the production of palm oil, being the fourth in the world and the first in Latin America. However, large quantities of agro-industrial waste are produced from this industry, such as rachis, palm kernel shells, palm kernel cake, oily sludge, and sewage. Through this research, the aim is to find the most efficient route for obtaining bioethanol by taking advantage of a well-known, but not widely used, agro-industrial waste from the production of palm oil: palm kernel shells. This route must be convenient according to technical, economic, social, and environmental criteria of sustainability, for which the synthesis of routes of exploitation of the rachis based on optimization of superstructures will be implemented. In this work, a superstructure empathizing pretreatment stage was constructed with intermittent layers of chemical species required or obtained, and another of technologies for separation or transformation of said chemical species. Organosolv pretreatment (ethanol-acid) and thermochemical pretreatment (pyrolysis) were obtained as results: both routes were evaluated from the break-even point analysis to define which of them to choose as the most promising, giving as a final result the pyrolysis pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, the oil palm growing-regions have different climatic conditions that influence the development and the crop yield. The crop production of seven tenera genotypes and nine OxG hybrids of oil palm (F1 and backcross) was evaluated between 2015 and 2017 in two oil palm areas, in a complete randomized block design with four replications and 20 palms per experimental unity. Combined analyzes of covariance were initially performed for tenera and OxG hybrid genotypes, considering the number of palms per experimental unit as a covariate, in order to establish the effect of genotypes (G) and the environment (E) in yield (kg/plot). The environments and genotypes were classified using cluster analysis and yield stability analysis was made using AMMI model. In OxG hybrids, differences (a <0.0001) were observed in fresh fruit bunches (kg/plot) between environments, between genotypes and genotype x environment (GxE) interaction for yield (kg/plot), while differences (a <0.0001) in tenera materials were found between environments and in GxE interaction. Specific adaptation was identified in tenera T6, T1, and H14 in the environments Tu2017B, Li2016A, and Li2017A. General adaptation was observed in tenera T2 and T3, and OxG hybrids H11 and H15. Yield genotypes of T2 and T3 were 176.2 and 174.1 kg/plot, while H15 and H11 was 274.2 and 264.6 kg/plot. In tenera genotypes and OxG hybrids, the RFF yield was influenced by the GxA interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the different pathways of technology diffusion and the resulting impacts on technology adoption that can emerge following a strategy to incorporate vulnerable communities of small-scale producers into traditionally top-down governance agribusiness systems. Building on the Contract Farming Arrangements (CFA) literature, we suggest that despite high levels of top-down control and the mono systems of diffusion that these practices imply, diffusion forms can vary considerably according to the motivations that drive different types of producers and the variances in local governance. We summarise these diffusion forms as a diffusion pathway of governance dictated by dominant change agent control and a diffusion pathway of governance dictated by change agent control and user participation. An important contribution of the paper is to highlight the critical role of formal rules in defining the types of governance for the creation of these different pathways. However, additional factors associated with the participation of smallholders such as attachment to land, engagement in collective action and long-term sustainability visions also introduce variations in these pathways and define the results of technology adoption. The study focuses on the Colombian oil palm sector; a key agribusiness sector targeted by policy makers with a strategy to integrate small-scale farmers into the agribusiness value chain as a means to relieve poverty and reduce levels of rural violence associated with conflicts over land and production of elicit crops. • Formal rules are a critical factor in the theory of innovation diffusion. • Different diffusion forms can emerge within centralised-diffusion systems. • Technology adoption can vary due to degree of attachment to agricultural production and long/short term vision. • Technology adoption can vary due to engagement in collective action and motivation of agents. • Values of trust embedded in agreements and technical relationships can impact the adoption of short-term practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haplaxius crudus (Van Duzee) is the vector of the pathogen that causes Lethal wilt disease, one of the most important diseases of oil palm in Colombia. Currently, H. crudus populations are controlled with calendar applications of chemical insecticides, however, their efficacy and effect on the ecosystem are unknown. The use of entomopathogenic fungi such as Metarhizium anisopliae may be an alternative to control this pest in the crop since this fungus has been isolated from adults of H. crudus found in oil palm plantations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 10 native strains of M. anisopliae to control adults of H. crudus under laboratory and field conditions. The strain CPMa1309 was selected because it caused mortalities in H. crudus adults greater than 90% at a dose of 1 × 1012 conidia/ha, as well as for its capacity to grow rapidly and produce large numbers of conidia on an artificial medium (4.95 × 107 conidia/ml). These results show the possibility of incorporating the fungus M. anisopliae CPMa1309 in an integrated management program for the biological control of H. crudus but it is important to validate its effectiveness under different agro-ecological conditions, where oil palm grows in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trains, water pipes and many other infrastructures whisper, and sometimes even roar. There is the sound of metal gripping water tanks, the echoes of deep wells, the soothing sounds of rivers stifled in irrigation ditches, and the sudden rumble of the train. The visual and audible life of infrastructures reverberates through the landscape of the immense green banana and palm oil plantations of the Zona Bananera, Colombia. Walking what was before a banana emporium built by the United Fruit Company involves knowing how to move within infrastructures. This ethnographic photo-essay is a reflection on the everyday becoming of both infrastructure and peasant zoneros. 'The Octopus', as the United Fruit Company is still called by locals, expanded its tentacles through a wide variety of materials. As much as tentacles can violently suffocate they can also be tamed and tricked. By repurposing infrastructures speculative and creative lives are lived, felt and imagined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stenoma impressella is one of the most important defoliator pests in oil palm plantations in Colombia. To identify an alternative method for its control was characterized biologically and molecularly two strains of Cordyceps cateniannulata (CPIsp1201 and IPIsp1201) and three strains of Beauveria bassiana (CPBb0502; CPBb0411; CPBb0404) against S. impressella larvae. Virulence was evaluated under laboratory conditions. In an oil palm leaflet, individual larvae obtained from the insect colony were inoculated with 5 μl of a conidial suspension containing 1 × 107 conidia/ml. The five strains were pathogenic against S. impressella larvae. CPIsp1201 and IPIsp1201 strains resulted in the highest mortality and were subsequently evaluated in two bioassays using a dose of 1 × 1013 conidia/ha. In the first bioassay, performed under shaded conditions, leaves of oil palms were infested with 75 larvae from the breeding/treatment. The second bioassay was performed in the field using natural populations. No differences were found between strains in both bioassays and the different dosages (5 × 1012, 1 × 1013, and 1.5 × 1013 conidia/ha). Finally, the two strains were evaluated under oil palm plantation conditions at a dose of 1 × 1013 conidia/ha in 126 naturally infested palms. Larval mortality caused by the strains IPIsp1201 and CPIsp1201 (79.5% and 70.5%, respectively) was higher than the natural mortality registered in the control (37.3%). Cordyceps cateniannulata used at 1 × 1013 conidia/ha was effective at controlling S. impressella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is a very important commodity especially to Malaysia and Indonesia. However, Latin American countries have significant industries, particularly Colombia. Climate change (CC) is a highly probable phenomenon which will affect diseases of oil palm (OP) with Phytophthora palmivora causing devastating outbreaks in Latin America and especially Colombia. Furthermore, the oomycete is an endemic pathogen to other crops in Malaysia such as durian, and is capable of causing disease of OP in vitro. A similar disease has been recorded in Thailand. It is crucial that P. palmivora is controlled in Malaysia and Indonesia because the organism is highly virulent, although there are acute and chronic forms. This current paper investigates the effect of CC on P. palmivora disease and on OP survival via a CLIMEX model for future suitable growth of OP. Postulated schemes are provided for Malaysia and Indonesia for acute and chronic forms of the disease which indicate an extremely high and increasing threat, likely to reduce the sustainability of the OP industry by 2050 and further by 2070 and/or 2100. Brazil appears less threatened by the disease under these scenarios, but their OP is likely to have 100% mortality. The chronic and acute forms of the malady present reduced and high threats respectively to Malaysia and Indonesia. The data herein will be useful for, inter alia, plantation managers who will be able to assess the accuracy of these scenarios in the future. Amelioration methods are required urgently and quarantine procedures need strengthening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil globally, and Colombia is the largest palm oil producer in South America and fourth worldwide. However, oil palm plantations in Colombia are affected by bud rot disease caused by the oomycete Phytophthora palmivora, leading to significant economic losses. Infection processes by plant pathogens involve the secretion of effector molecules, which alter the functioning or structure of host cells. Current long-read sequencing technologies provide the information needed to produce high-quality genome assemblies, enabling a comprehensive annotation of effectors. Here, we describe the development of genomic resources for P. palmivora, including a high-quality genome assembly based on long and short-read sequencing data, intraspecies variability for 12 isolates from different oil palm cultivation regions in Colombia, and a catalog of over 1,000 candidate effector proteins. A total of 45,416 genes were annotated from the new genome assembled in 2,322 contigs adding to 165.5 Mbp, which represents an improvement of two times more gene models, 33 times better contiguity, and 11 times less fragmentation compared with currently available genomic resources for the species. Analysis of nucleotide evolution in paralogs suggests a recent whole-genome duplication event. Genetic differences were identified among isolates showing variable virulence levels. We expect that these novel genomic resources contribute to the characterization of the species and the understanding of the interaction of P. palmivora with oil palm and could be further exploited as tools for the development of effective strategies for disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agronomía Colombiana is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Between 1993 and 2015 the land planted to oil palm in Colombia increased fourfold, from 119,000ha to 484,000ha. This rapid growth coincided with a period of extreme armed conflict and displacement, with inequality in land distribution reaching the highest levels in Latin America (Oxfam, 2017). These occurrences spurred this inquiry into conditions on the ground in the palm growing zones and the political and economic forces promoting the crop. The theoretical underpinnings are derived from the literature on land grabbing, land control, land concentration and exclusion. Oil palm has been favoured by rural elites, conservative governments and right-wing paramilitaries in an attempted 'modernising' of the countryside through agro-industry. Neo-liberal ideas emphasising capital accumulation through the 'market' have minimised land reform efforts and impeded post-conflict land restitution. The paper is organised in three main parts. Part 1 introduces the crop and its importance, linked to oil palm's culture of continuous expansion. Relevant theoretical concepts are discussed, together with the background to land and violence in Colombia. Part 2 begins the more detailed analysis of the palm oil industry. A descriptive survey of historical beginnings, modern data availability and distribution of holdings is followed by a more nuanced analysis of industry-induced 'myths' and political 'enablers' through the Uribe years (2002–10) and the Santos era (2010–2018). In Part 3 the evidence for 'stolen land' is examined in representative oil palm locations. The findings are summarised in the conclusion. • Colombia's oil palm area quadrupled in a period of armed conflict and displacement. • The increase was officially attributed to state assistance and new lands from 'alliances'. • Peasant displacement and 'cleaning' of titles consolidated land control. • Despite patchy evidence, case studies have supported findings of 'stolen land'. • The rural lowlands are modernising but land access remains highly inequitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss and degradation of natural habitats continue to increase across the tropics as a result of agricultural expansion. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand their effects, and the distribution and habitat requirements of wildlife within human-modified landscapes, to support the conservation of threatened species, such as felids. We combined camera trapping and land cover data into occupancy models to study the habitat use and space partitioning by four sympatric felid species in an agricultural landscape in Colombia. Land use in the area includes cattle ranching and oil palm cultivation, the latter being an emerging land use type in the Neotropics. Factors determining species occupancy were the presence of wetlands for jaguars (positive effect); water proximity for pumas (positive effect); and presence of pastures for ocelots and jaguarundis (negative effect). Only ocelots were occasionally recorded in oil palm areas. Our results suggest that to align development with the conservation of top predators it is crucial to maintain areas of forest and wetland across agricultural landscapes and to restrict agricultural and oil palm expansion to modified areas such as pastures, which are of limited conservation value. Because there is no spatial segregation between the felid species we studied, conservation strategies that benefit all of them are possible even in modified landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciencia y Poder Aéreo is the property of Escuela de Postgrados de la Fuerza Aerea Colombiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Triatomine bugs are responsible for the vectorial transmission of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, etiological agent of Chagas disease, a zoonosis affecting 10 million people and with 25 million at risk of infection. Several triatomine species of the genus Rhodnius have been found inhabiting palm crowns where insects can find shelter in leaves axils and blood from palm-associated vertebrates. Rhodnius prolixus insects have been collected in oil palms in Colombia, and high T. cruzi infection rates were found. Since pest control is carried out in oil palm plantations, continuous exposure to insecticides could be occurring in these triatomines. Some insecticides suggested for pest control in oil palm plantations are also recommended for triatomine control in human dwellings. In this study, our objective was to assess if triatomines inhabiting oil palms exhibit resistance to deltamethrin, an insecticide used for vector control. Methods: Rhodnius prolixus nymphs were sampled in oil palms located in Tauramena, Colombia. To determine deltamethrin resistance, biological and biochemical assays were carried out on fifth-instar nymphs from the F1 generation. For biological assays, pure and commercial deltamethrin were used, and in biochemical assays, activities of detoxifying enzymes related to pyrethroid resistance, such as oxidases, esterases and transferases, were quantified. Results: Deltamethrin lethal dosage 50 and 90 in R. prolixus from oil palms was significantly higher than in those from a susceptible colony suggesting possible deltamethrin resistance. Moreover, mortality with commercial deltamethrin was very low in insects from oil palms. In biochemical assays, the activity of evaluated detoxifying enzymes was significantly higher in R. prolixus from oil palms than in those from the susceptible colony. Conclusions: Possible deltamethrin resistance found in R. prolixus insects from oil palms could threaten traditional vector control strategies in urban settings if insecticide-resistant triatomines can migrate from oil palms plantations. In palm oil producer countries such as Colombia, the oil palm plantations are growing constantly during the last years. We suggest that pest control strategies in oil palm crops should include triatomine surveillance and toxicological monitoring, especially in zones with several Chagas disease cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I examine the connections between the hogging of lands, the oil palm tree cultivations, and the para-militarism in Colombia through the lens of the primitive accumulation. To do so, I analyze three concrete cases: the Bajo Atrato en Chocó [a river basin], Mapiripán in Meta Province, and Las Pavas in the South Bolívar Province. These three Colombian locations have undergone violent events including forced displacement and land deprivation, with subsequent projects for growing oil palm trees on a broad scale. The discussion brings into contention the agricultural biofuel international market and the need by the Colombian State to take some territories that were previously hostile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Entomología is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Agricultural development was the major contributor to South America’s designation as the continent with the highest rates of forest loss from 2000–2012. As the apex predator in the Neotropics, jaguars (Panthera onca) are dependent on forest cover but the species’ response to habitat fragmentation in heterogeneous agricultural landscapes has not been a subject of extensive research. We used occupancy as a measure of jaguar habitat use in Colombia’s middle Magdalena River valley which, as part of the intercontinental Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot, is exceedingly fragmented by expanding cattle pastures and oil palm plantations. We used single-season occupancy models to analyze 9 months of data (2015–2016) from 70 camera trap sites. Given the middle Magdalena’s status as a “jaguar corridor” and our possible violation of the occupancy models’ demographic closure assumption, we interpreted our results as “probability of habitat use (Ψ)” by jaguars. We measured the associations between jaguar presence and coverage of forest, oil palm, and wetlands in radii buffers of 1, 3, and 5 km around each camera trap. Our camera traps recorded 77 jaguar detections at 25 of the camera trap sites (36%) during 15,305 trap nights. The probability of detecting jaguars, given their presence at a site, was 0.28 (0.03 SE). In the top-ranked model, jaguar habitat use was positively influenced by wetland coverage (β = 7.16, 3.20 SE) and negatively influenced by cattle pastures (β = -1.40, 0.63 SE), both in the 3 km buffers. We conclude that wetlands may serve as keystone habitats for jaguars in landscapes fragmented by cattle ranches and oil palm plantations. Greater focus on wetland preservation could facilitate jaguar persistence in one of the most important yet vulnerable areas of their distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South America is responsible for 16% of the world's agricultural production and 21% of the world's livestock. Palm harvesting has been gaining special attention, with constant growth in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. Fast expansion in palm plantations in the equatorial zone around the world has been motivated by an increase in farming of species such as Elaeis guineensis, Elaeis oleifera, and Elaeis odora. Parallel to the increase of oil‐palm harvesting, the generation of residues is an important aspect to take into consideration. This work presents an overview of palm cultivation in South America, focusing on the full use of the fruits of the palm for biodiesel production. It also discusses the status of the main projects in South America for second‐generation biofuels production from governmental agencies and private institutes. From the data consulted it was determined that Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil have policies and incentives for the agrobusiness of oil‐palm production. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]