Drylands (arid and semi-arid regions) are important regions in the world; they have been disregarded and considered poor undeveloped regions due to their ecological limitations. Farmers in these regions tend towards diversification of production systems in order to achieve livelihood security, and this phenomenon has not been extensively studied. The objective of this study was to create a typology of the production systems present in the Mexican north central drylands, using variables related to production, socioeconomics, and social capital. 1044 interviews were conducted in the semi-arid region of north central Mexico. Analysis of the data allowed for the observation of nine types of production systems distributed in three groups: Subsistence, commercial, and off-farm income systems. The differences observed within these systems are due to generational gaps, gender differences, market orientation, and social capital. It can be concluded that the diversification of the dryland production systems allows for an understanding of why generic public policies have failed to mitigate poverty in these regions. The implications of the study refer to the reconfiguration of Mexican policies for the development of the drylands.

En este trabajo se analizó el efecto de la radiación solar sobre condiciones medio ambientales de invernadero y efecto sobre el sustrato colocado en contenedores de manera vertical y horizontal para cultivo de chile ancho. Se encontró qué durante los meses del 26 de agosto al 17 de octubre, hay una radiación solar entre 246.91 (9:00 h) a 642 (12:00 h) W m-2. Lo anterior, indujo al interior del invernadero un contenido diferencial de CO2 a las 9:00 h (853 ppm). En crecimiento y rendimiento de la planta de chile, las plantas cultivadas en contendores horizontales sobresalieron la altura (98.88 cm) y en pesos seco (34.08 g) por planta. Los contenedores horizontales mostraron una mayor correlación entre las variables de peso fresco de raíz y volumen de 99%, mientras que la menor fue entre área foliar y rendimiento. Por lo anterior, concluimos que en cultivo de chile en invernadero se recomienda utilizar contenedores horizontales cara orientación hacia el sur para hacer eficiente su rendimiento en al menos 25 % adicional.

Objective: A vertical hydroponic greenhouse system (VHGS) was designed and built to evaluat two strawberry varieties (Festival and San Andreas), in two planting densities per pot (40 and 54 plants/m 2 ) and three elevation levels (high, medium, and low). Design/Methodology/Approach: At 126 days after transplanting (dat), the Festival variety showed significant differences in the number of leaves and in the crown diameter. Results: The vertical hydroponic greenhouse system had a high fruit yield (21 kg m2 ): i.e., this productionsystem is up to 35 % more efficient than the open field cultivation system or the multi-tunnel greenhouse system. There was a positive correlation between the number (r 2 =0.89), diameter (r 2 =0.54), and weight (r 2 =0.40) of the fruits and the total yield. Planting density did not show a significant effect on plant growth, yield, and fruit quality. The vertical pot system did not show differences between elevation levels. This production system is a viable option for populations in places with a scarcity of water and to obtain fruits with guaranteed food safety.