Drying is considered one of the industrial processes that requires more energy than other processes, being a topic of much interest to the agricultural sector, especially the evaluation of energy consumption for rice and corn dryers. To meet this goal, an overview survey matrix and protocols for temperature measurements of dryers were developed. The study evaluated 49 rice dryers and 14 yellow corn dryers. As a result, it was determined that the oversizing of the fan/extractor and the dryer engine generates a high energy consumption, added to the lack of insulation in the heat ducts. Therefore, the drying productivity index is very low in dryers using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) being 0.14 dollar/quintal for rice and 0.27 dollar/quintal for corn and using biomass reaches 1.4 dollars/quintal. In relation to energy losses, these account for more than 55%. Inadequate energy management in drying processes directly influences the marketing chain of products, the losses of which are caused by fluctuations in the price of rice and corn on the domestic market, with the agricultural sector having to generate an energy efficiency plan.

The process of drying at the agroindustry level is considered the most important stage for the storage and conservation of food, but an inadequate sizing of the systems can generate an excessive consumption of fuel and energy. In the case of the agricultural sector, especially in small and medium producers in Ecuador, they tend to dry cereals outdoors, spreading the product over black plastics, asphalt floors, or cements called “tendal”. This process depends on the weather conditions of the area and can take between one or four days of drying, tending to damage the product by fungi. On the other hand, certain producers build dryers empirically, using as the main fuel gas for domestic use, diesel, or firewood. Among the problems presented for these types of dryers are heat losses in the drying chamber as it is not thermally insolated, a lack of temperature control (above 60 °C) and drying speed, excessive fuel use, and 10% burned product, which are essential to control to obtain a quality product and savings in the energy consumption of the dryer. With regard to the problem raised above, the design and construction of a hybrid dryer that worked with 80% of thermal solar and low enthalpy aerogeothermal energy and 20% with electric power was conducted to optimize the drying process and ensure a quality dry product. The work proposes the dimensioning of each component of the dryer. As a result, it was found that the efficiency of the equipment was around 60%, reaching a maximum operating temperature of 52 °C, with a stabilization time of the system in the first hour within 40 min. It should be noted that the design of the prototype is easy to adapt and replicate.

Cultivation of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) has high economic relevance in Ecuador. Although the planted area is approximately 5704 ha, its productivity is low (3.17 t ha-1) relative to other countries in the region. In recent years, the spread and the development of a disease that leads the plant to death, known by farmers as “pata seca” and occurring in production zones located in Guayas and Santa Elena Provinces, have caused great economic losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of “pata seca” on commercial pepper crops during 2013 and 2014 and to identify the causal agent of such disease. Twenty-three farms were visited, where samples and data were collected. “Pata seca” was detected in 79.2% samples, and 53.6% plants had symptoms of this disease. Analysis of the samples collected in 2013 and 2014 indicated that the predominant fungi were Sclerotium rolfsii (31.17%, 49.64%) and Fusarium spp. (29.29%, 32.37%), respectively. Pathogenicity tests confirmed that S. rofsii is the major causal agent.

Bee honey (Apis mellifera) is a natural food for Ecuadorians. It is, rich for its nutritional content and useful for people's health. Despite the demand for bee honey, agro-industrial production has been very limited due to several factors. This research presents the results obtained in four beehoney communities: Cascajal, Daule, Tres Postes and Palestine, located in the Guayas province, Ecuador. The aim is to highlight the problems and propose solutions in the areas of empowerment and negotiations kills, mechanical design of machines and good manufacturing practices related to the processes of obtaining honey

The current pandemic has forced companies to innovate and part of these challenges involves using new tools to facilitate these innovation processes. This article describes the experience during the application of Design Thinking as a way to improve the performance of a fashion design company that required an online promotion and sales plan for its items during the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. 19 with first-year university students, thus constituting the opportunity for students and stakeholders of this Project to reflect on the applicability and importance of this methodology to devise a nd design innovative solutions to the problems raised.