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Complementary Agriculture (AgriCom): A Low-Cost Strategy to Improve Profitability and Sustainability in Rural Communities in Semi-Arid Regions

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  • Fernanda Díaz-Sánchez

    (Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus San Luis Potosí. Iturbide #73, Col. Centro, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78600, Mexico)

  • Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez

    (Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus San Luis Potosí. Iturbide #73, Col. Centro, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78600, Mexico)

  • Víctor Manuel Ruiz-Vera

    (Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus San Luis Potosí. Iturbide #73, Col. Centro, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78600, Mexico)

  • Héctor Silos-Espino

    (Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico, Instituto Tecnológico El Llano Aguascalientes, Km. 18 Carretera Ags-S.L.P., El Llano 20330, Mexico)

  • Brenda I. Trejo-Téllez

    (Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus San Luis Potosí. Iturbide #73, Col. Centro, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78600, Mexico)

  • Alberto García-Reyes

    (Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus San Luis Potosí. Iturbide #73, Col. Centro, Salinas de Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí 78600, Mexico)

  • José Luis Yagüe-Blanco

    (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus Ciudad Universitaria, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro, # 2-4, Comunidad de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Julio Sánchez-Escudero

    (Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Km. 36.5 Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco 56264, Mexico)

Abstract

The rural population in semi-arid areas of Mexico suffers from poverty levels that hinder a dignified life, leading to migration and abandonment of their resources. This is exacerbated by climate change (droughts and high temperatures), which negatively impacts crops. While farmers attempt to adapt, their strategies are insufficient. A low-cost Complementary Agriculture (AgriCom) model was designed, using local resources to produce prickly pear ( Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.) and corn ( Zea mays L.), while simultaneously conserving regional germplasm of Opuntia spp. A randomized block design with three replications was used. Each block included seven varieties, with 125 plants per variety. Corn was grown as a monocrop in the same experimental site. Graphical analysis, analysis of variance with mean comparison test in RStudio, a profitability analysis, and a Land Equivalent (ELU) analysis were performed. The varieties Verdura, Atlixco, and Rojo Liso showed higher yield, internal rate of return, and net present value; their benefit–cost ratios were 7.97, 6.35, and 6.82, respectively. The ELU was greater than 1.0 when combining the prickly pear varieties. Agroclimatic conditions did not allow the corn to complete its phenological cycle, and its ELU was zero. Seventy prickly pear genotypes, with three replicates each, representing eight Opuntia species, were collected and integrated into the periphery of the production unit. This model was accepted by the Climate Action Platform for Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean (PLACA) for implementation in other communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernanda Díaz-Sánchez & Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez & Víctor Manuel Ruiz-Vera & Héctor Silos-Espino & Brenda I. Trejo-Téllez & Alberto García-Reyes & José Luis Yagüe-Blanco & Julio Sánchez-Escudero, 2025. "Complementary Agriculture (AgriCom): A Low-Cost Strategy to Improve Profitability and Sustainability in Rural Communities in Semi-Arid Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-18, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:21:p:9481-:d:1779171
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yúnez Naude, Antonio & González Andrade, Salvador, 2008. "Efectos multiplicadores de las actividades productivas en el ingreso y pobreza rural en México," El Trimestre Económico, Fondo de Cultura Económica, vol. 75(298), pages 349-377, abril-jun.
    2. Lorenzen, Matthew & Orozco-Ramírez, Quetzalcóatl & Ramírez-Santiago, Rosario & Garza, Gustavo G., 2020. "Migration, socioeconomic transformation, and land-use change in Mexico’s Mixteca Alta: Lessons for forest transition theory," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
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