Editorial

Through the past years the entities of I+D+I from the Sistema Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria (National System of Science and Agricultural Technology) have been encouraged to research, not only in the topics associated to the increase in production but on topics related to the nutritional value, quality of products, added value and post-harvest management. Also, a growing interest has been seen in documenting the environmental impact of the production practices on the quality of resources such as soils and water. In this issue, Corpoica is pleased to share several articles related to these topics. One of them describes the results of the adaptations evaluation of the biofortified bean varieties with high contents of iron and zinc in different areas of the Colombian Caribbean region. The results show a good behavior of these materials and their beneficial potential on populations with a lack of these two micronutrients in their diets. On another article, a characterization of several materials of castor-oil plant for the biodiesel production is made, with promising results of some of these materials. Two more articles report the results of the effects of the storage time on the physical-chemical characteristics of the costeño cheese and the bollo de maíz, which are essential products of Colombian people’s diets. The results of both works confirm the importance of developing good storage techniques in order to keep the product’s quality. Another article presents the results of the characterization of the growth and quality of lulo for one of the regions in Cundinamarca. The results indicate that there is a good potential for this specific crop’s production in the region included in the study, keeping good parameters of fruit’s quality. Finally, two more articles are presented which document, on one side, the long-term effects of different systems of production on the physical properties of the soil of Nariño and the loss caused by erosion, and on the other side, the evaluation of a method to measure the residuality of Paraquat and Glyphosate in shallow waters. The results of the first study indicate that the continuous use of the soil generates losses on porosity which reduces the soil’s capacity of retaining water and, in consequence, the problems of hydric deficit for the crops increase. Additionally, the method used in the evaluation of residuality of herbicides included in the study, has the potential to become a technological offer to monitor the quality of the water that comes from the producers’ fields. We hope that the information presented in this issue of the journal contributes to the generation of the technical changes that the agricultural sector requires.

Miguel Ángel Ayarza Moreno
Director (e) de Investigación y Desarrollo
Corpoica Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria