Effective treatment of urban wastewater effluent and biosolids are obtained potentially useful as a source of irrigation water and nutrients. A crop white garlic was held in Río Cuarto (Córdoba), drip irrigated using urban effluents and incorporating biosolids as fertilizer and chemical fertilizer. To evaluate performance and healthquality plantation took place in March in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications. The treatments were: Control (C); 25 t·ha-1 biosolids (BIO25); 50 t·ha-1 biosolids (BIO50); 85 kg·ha-1 N and 16 kg·ha-1 S (N85); 170 kg·ha-1 N and 32 kg·ha-1 S (N170). Biosolids containing 91 % moisture. By drip irrigation was applied 426 mm and 234 mm effective rainfall. The effluent contributed 136 kg·ha-1 N and 19 kg·ha-1 P; Biosolids provided BIO50: 54 kg·ha-1 N and 37 kg·ha-1 P and BIO25: 27 kg·ha-1 of N and 18.5 kg·ha-1 of P. Nutrient inputs incorporated in irrigation water and biosolids allowed to reach bulbs yields significantly different at 5 % commercial grade Fisher LSD, these being 19.1 t·ha-1 (N170); 19.0 t·ha-1 (BIO50); 18.7 t·ha-1 (N85); 18.4 t·ha-1 (BIO25) and 17.4 t·ha-1 (T). The bacteriological analysis confirmed the absence of bulbs Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. These technologies increased the garlic crop yield without affecting the health quality.

The squash is a vegetable of high economic and social value for the Argentina. Cultivars Frontera INTA and Cuyano INTA belong to the species Cucurbita moschata and possess different plant architecture that makes presume a specific optimal spatial distribution for the production of fruit and seed. The objective of the trial was to probe different densities and determine the effects on the yield of fruits and seeds in the two cultivars. The trials were conducted in the seasons 2007-2008; 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 in La Consulta, Mendoza, Argentina, and were tested densities between 0.17 and 0.91 plants·m-2 by changing the distance between lines (2.0 m to 3.0 m) and between plants on the line (0.5 m to 2.0 m). Fruits and seeds yield per plant and unit area, average weight of fruit, seed yield per fruit, seed weight and seed germination, were determined. A factorial analysis with two factors, density and cultivar, was made independently by season, and Fisher test was used for means (α ≤ 0.05). The increase in density caused the decrease in the yield of fruits and seeds per plant. Yields per unit area were generally superior with the higher densities, both with respect to fruit and seed. Among cultivars the fruit yield per plant and surface were very similar although the fruit weight of Frontera INTA was greater: the ability to produce seed of Frontera INTA was superior to Cuyano INTA. The quality of the seeds was not changed significantly between densities.

Between 7,000 and 9,900 hectares of carrot are grown annually in Argentina supplying domestic market and with exportable exceeding. Mendoza is the major producing province. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variability in yield and quality characters of carrot cultivars grown in Mendoza. Eight biennial open pollinated cultivars type Flakkee were sown during three years in La Consulta EEA INTA: Beatriz INTA, Colmar, Flakkese, Laval, Natasha, Spring, Supreme and Tim Tom. Sowing dates were 17/8/06, 6/9/07 and 12/9/08, field design were blocks and harvest dates were 31/1/07, 7/2/08 y 24/2/09. Defects proportion, root size, colour and soluble solids contents were evaluated. Proportion of roots with insect and disease damages were exclusively affect by environment. Only in year with high incidence, differences between cultivars were found in green shoulders proportion, having Colmar and Beatriz the lowest values. Colmar and Natasha have the lowest cracking proportion, and Flakkese, Natasha, Laval, Tim Tom and Colmar the lowest bolting proportion. In root length and soluble solid content cultivars have high consistency, being Colmar and Flakkese the cultivars with longest roots and Beatriz the one with highest solid content. Beatriz also has the thickest roots, and Colmar and Flakkese the best coloured roots.

The effect of different calcium fertilizers and doses on yield and fruit size were studied in blueberry cv. O’Neal. One field experiment was carried out to evaluate these effects, on 5 years old plants growing on Typic Argiudoll soil with pH 5.3. Before planting were added peat, perlite and sulfur. These elements reduced soil pH until 4.6, and soil exchangeable Ca was 6.6 cmolc·kg-1. A randomized complete blocks design was used, with the following treatments: T, witness; Q, chelate of Ca (610 g Ca·ha-1), S, lignosulfonate of Ca (1.143 g Ca·ha-1), Y, gypsum (46.500 g Ca·ha-1), applied to soil, each one with three replications. The Q and S treatments were applied two times a week from the floration period until the end of harvest, while Y treatment was applied once at early spring. Yields increased with Y treatment, while fruit size increased in all Ca treatments.

Cordia curassavica (Jacq.) Roem. & Schult., Boraginaceae, known in Argentina under the name of “Black Mary”, is studied for its antibacterial, antifungal and larvicidal. It has a very long life cycle and the juvenile phase lasts for years, being an interesting alternative vegetative propagation of selected phenotypes for plants producction in sufficient quantity and to initiate studies of agronomic management of the same. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of vegetative propagation by cuttings of C. curassavica evaluating the use rooting hormone promoters, the type of cutting and rooting and the most suitable substrate for propagation. Three different substrates were tested: sand, ground mount and commercial substrate, by using an experimental design of a randomized block with three, in a factorial arrangement of 2 x 2 x 3. The variables evaluated were: percentage of rooting, root number per cutting, root length (mm), percentage of sprouting and number of shoots per cutting. Hormone and Substrate factors showed no significant differences in the percentage of rooting, number and length of roots. The cutting type factor showed significant differences for the variables rooting percentage and number of buds sprouting from cuttings, specially for intermediate cutting. C. curassavica is not a recalcitrant species in terms of rooting and can root without hormone treatment.

In June 2011, the eruption of the volcanic complex Puyehue expelled large quantities of ash into the atmosphere that are currently being evaluated for use. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of using these ashes as substrate component. Physical and chemical analyses were carried out on samples collected from the affected area sand substrates made with Sphagnum peat and ash proportions of 20 and 50 %. Formulated substrates were also evaluated by developing of coral plant (Salvia splendens). The ash samples ranged from pH 5.7 to 7.2; the values of electrical conductivity and concentration of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium were low. Physics results showed that bulk density was inverse to the size of particles. Also, to larger particle size was greater the aeration porosity and to smaller sizes was greater the water holding capacity. The substrates formulated were suitable chemical and physical properties. Consequently, the totality of coral plants were quality, but plants of the substrates with 20 % fine ash and 50 % ash mixture, obtained the highest fresh and dry mass. In conclusion, the volcanic ash is a viable material for use as a substrate, but air and water ratio must be balanced according to its particle size.