The present work proposes an image processing algorithm oriented to identify the coloration of the quinoa grains that make up the different samples obtained from the production of a crop field. The objective is to perform quality control of production based on the statistics of grain coloration, which is currently done manually based on subjective visual perception. This generates results that totally depend on the abilities and the particular criteria of each observer, generating considerable errors in the identification of the colors and tonalities. The problem is further complicated by the nonexistence, at present, of a pattern or standard of coloration of quinoa grains that specifically defines a referential color map. In this sense, through this work, an algorithm is proposed oriented to classify the grains of the acquired samples by their color via digital images and provide corresponding statistics for the quality control of the production. The algorithm uses the color models RGB, HSV and YCbCr, thresholding, segmentation by binary masks, erosion, connectivity, labeling and sequential classification based on 8 colors established by agronomists. The obtained results showed a performance of the proposed algorithm of 91.25% in relation to the average success rate.

La quinua es uno de los granos alimenticios utilizados en el Perú desde épocas remotas y fue uno de los cultivos básicos junto con el maíz, la papa y las raíces y tubérculos andinos antes de la época prehispánica. Aproximadamente 500 años después de la conquista española, el área cultivada se redujo en forma significativa, especialmente en los valles interandinos de la sierra central y norte, manteniéndose su cultivo en forma continua en el Altiplano de Puno, en sistemas de cultivo ancestrales o aynokas que permitieron conservar la diversidad genética. En el resto de la sierra se produjo una erosión genética y cultural del cultivo de la quinua. Es en la década de los 2000 donde se desarrolla un mercado de consumo estable de la quinua en el mercado internacional y nacional con precios adecuados que ha impulsado el cultivo de la quinua a niveles de importancia económica. Con la revaloración de la quinua se inicia un crecimiento paulatino de la superficie, la cual está entre 70 a 80% localizada en Puno y el 20 a 30% en los valles interandinos y zonas altas del resto de la Sierra; iniciándose su cultivo en la región de la costa con rendimientos que superan los 7000 kg/ha. Paralelamente al crecimiento del área y mercado se realizaron trabajos de investigación en tecnologías de cultivo, mejoramiento y procesamiento de la quinua. Actualmente el Perú es uno de los principales países productores y exportadores de quinua. En el 2012, la superficie cultivada con quinua alcanzó las 38495 ha, con un rendimiento promedio nacional de 1149 y una producción total de 44,210 toneladas.

After several decades of unquestioned success, agriculture is now facing important global problems. Huge increases in productivity in developed countries have been accompanied by a severe depletion of “soil quality” in terms of resistance to erosion, organic contents, concentrations of heavy metals, and pesticide residues. Agricultural intensification in developing countries has been less successful because of various socioeconomic limitations. Nevertheless, traditional agricultural practices do not conserve the quality of soils; stocks of organic matter are rapidly becoming depleted, and erosion removes fine particles from the soil surface horizons. In a context of increasing human population pressures, particularly in developing countries, this degradation of soils results in many social and environmental problems (Eswaran 1994; FAO 2000). Features common to all kinds of soil degradation are a significant decrease in organic reserves, degradation of the soil structure, and severe depletion of soil invertebrate communities, especially earthworms (Decaëns et al. 1994; Lavelle et al. 1994).

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation between the phase of follicular development (growth, maintenance or regression) during mating with embryo mortality to day 35-post mating. 116 alpacas ≥ 3 years of age were examined daily by transrectal ultrasonography (Aloka SSD 500) using a 7.5 MHz linear-array transducer to evaluate follicular status and then assigned to the following groups G1: Growing follicle 5 - 6 mm (n = 27); G2: Growing ≥ 7 mm.(n=30); G3 Maintenance ≥ 7 mm. (n = 30); G4 Regressing follicle ≥7 mm. (n= 29). Ultrasounds examinations were performed on days 0, 2, 9, 20, 25, 30 and 35 to determine occurance of ovulation (day 2); Corpus Luteum diameter (CL (day 9) and presence of embryonic vesicle or embryo (day 20 to 35). Male acceptance, ovulation and conception rate was compared by Chi Square test between groups. Acceptance rate was 100% in groups G2,G3 and G4 but only 81.5% of animals of G1 with follicle of 6 mm. accepted mating. Ovulation rate was 95.5; 96.7; 100.0 and 96.6% in G1; G2; G3 and G4, respectively (P > 0.05) and no differences were detected between groups in CL diameter. Conception rate on day 20 was 57.1; 68.9; 60.0 and 50.0% for G1; G2; G3 and G4 (P > 0.05). Embryonic loss rates from day 20 to 35 were not significantly different between groups. This result suggest that the status of follicular development at mating would not have influence on embryo mortality rate between day 20 and 35 of gestation in alpacas and that animals that accepted mating in all phase, including the one with follicle of 6 mm diameter present similar reproductive performance.

Describe la metodología adecuada para el establecimiento de plantaciones como una alternativa de asegurar el continuo abastecimiento de materia prima a los usuarios.

Our results indicate that at least a low proportion of SAC living in this particular region of Peru has been exposed to N. caninum. The higher seroprevalences of both N. caninum and T. gondii in adult SAC than in foals suggest a predominance of postnatal routes of infection. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be investigated.