Phage therapy consists of applying bacteriophages, whose natural function is to kill specific bacteria. Bacteriophages are safe, evolve together with their host, and are environmentally friendly. At present, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and salt minerals (Zn2+ or Cu2+) has caused the emergence of resistant strains that infect crops, causing difficulties and loss of food production. Phage therapy is an alternative that has shown positive results and can improve the treatments available for agriculture. However, the success of phage therapy depends on finding effective bacteriophages. This review focused on describing the potential, up to now, of applying phage therapy as an alternative treatment against bacterial diseases, with sustainable improvement in food production. We described the current isolation techniques, characterization, detection, and selection of lytic phages, highlighting the importance of complementary studies using genome analysis of the phage and its host. Finally, among these studies, we concentrated on the most relevant bacteriophages used for biocontrol of Pseudomonas spp., Xanthomonas spp., Pectobacterium spp., Ralstonia spp., Burkholderia spp., Dickeya spp., Clavibacter michiganensis, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens as agents that cause damage to crops, and affect food production around the world.

In the agronomic management of maize (Zea mays L.), chemical fertilizers can be substituted for fertilizing techniques that reduce the pollutant effect of the excessive use of commercial fertilizers. The hypothesis was the green manure of legumes with or without the inoculation of microorganisms are capable of promoting agronomic characteristics of X’mejen Naal maize, comparable to conventional fertilization. In order to measure the effect in the agronomic characteristics of X´mejen Naal maize, an experiment was designed in complete randomized blocks in a bifactorial arrangement with four repetitions, in which three green manures were tested, with or without the inoculation of Fosfonat (endomycorrhizas, EM, plus nitrogen fixating bacteria, NFB). Treatments were Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens, T1=MUC), Xpelón (Vigna unguiculata, T2=PEL), Ibes (Phaseolus lunatus, T3=IBE), inoculated Mucuna (T4=MUCEM), inoculated Xpelón (T5=PELEM), inoculated Ibes (T6= IBEEM) and the control with the incorporated biomass of weeds plus the addition of 200 kg ha-1 of diammonium phosphate (T7=ARDAP). Results showed that there were only differences caused by the types of green manure and their interaction with the inoculated symbionts in the fresh weight or biomass in X´mejen Naal maize. IBE and ARDAP stood out in fresh weight (1162 and 1251 g), dry weight (168.6 and 163.6 g), 7.3 Mg ha-1 (Megagrams per hectare) in the dry aerial biomass in the maize plants, respectively. Despite the grain yield of maize was similar among treatments, it was noticeable that the higher average yields were also observed in IBE and ARDAP with 3.5 and 3.3 Mg ha-1 respectively. All yields (fodder and grain) managed to express the potential of the X´mejen Naal, which is relevant to recommend the use of green manures as an agro-environmental alternative to conventional fertilization in the Luvisol soils of Campeche.

Se realizó un experimento en campo con el objetivo de evaluar los efectos de la aplicación de tres abonos verdes de leguminosas sobre algunas propiedades químicas en un luvisol férrico (K´an kab en maya), representativo de las zonas agrícolas del estado de Campeche. Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con siete tratamientos: Mucuna pruriens L., Vigna unguiculata L. y Phaseolus lunatus inoculados o no con endomicorrizas y bacterias benéf icas f ijadoras de nitrógeno, comparadas con el testigo constituido por la incorporación de arvenses más fosfato diamónico (DAP). Los resultados demuestran que todas las propiedades del suelo estudiadas: Materia orgánica (MOS), conductividad eléctrica (CE), características de pH, así como la determinación del contenido macronutrientes (N, P, K, Ca, Mg y Na), micronutrientes (B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn), suma bases intercambiables (meq/100 g) y la relación C/N, se comportaron de manera semejante en términos estadísticos (P < 0.05). Los abonos verdes lograron aportes de nutrientes equiparables a la fertilización que combinaba el DAP con la biomasa incorporada de arvenses, lo cual evidencia, que el uso de abonos verdes, incluso de especies leguminosas cultivadas como alimento en los agroecosistemas de la Península de Yucatán, pueden sustituir la fertilización convencional en luvisoles férricos de Campeche, México.

Currently agriculture has difficulty keeping up with the demand for food around the world, which has generated a boom in the development of sustainable alternatives for producing food and caring for the environment. Therefore, the present study aims to show a backyard system comprising 50 cm × 50 cm pinewood boxes where maize and peanut were tested under control and compost conditions. The experiments were carried out for nine months starting from compost production and the sowing of the crops, which were irrigated with temporary rain. The compost was produced by converting ~213 kg of organic residues into ~300 kg of mature compost. The fertilizer treatment consisted of two doses of compost (1 kg doses). The developing plants were compared between conditions in both crops. In addition, the nutritional values of the compost and compost and soil were evaluated. Interestingly, the correlation analyses of the morphological properties of the soils showed that the effects of the nutrients were positively associated with the morphology of the crops studied. Finally, the yield produced for maize was 9 kg/m2 and 6.6 kg/m2 and that for peanuts was 184 g/m2 and 73 g/m2 under compost and control conditions, respectively. We consider that the development of new alternatives for producing food in times of crisis or situations of limited resources is necessary for the development of humanity and the care of the environment.