Review

The production of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) in Chiapas, Mexico. Oportunities fo agroecological production

Humberto Osorio-Espinoza^{1  *} 

Ángel Leyva-Galan² 

Ernesto Toledo-Toledo¹ 

Francisco Javier Marroquín-Agreda¹ 

Magdiel Gabriel-Hernandez¹ 

¹ Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), Entronque Carretera Costera y Estación Huehuetán; Apdo. Postal 34; Huehuetán, Chiapas, México. CP 30660

² Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA), carretera San José-Tapaste, km 3½, Gaveta Postal 1, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba. CP 32 700

ABSTRACT

The information provided in this work is a scientific look at the state of the art of growing rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) in Mexico, with special emphasis on its production as a main element in a multicultural system and the use of coverage as alternatives agro-ecological After a thorough review of the written information, it was found that this fruit is a viable option to increase the biodiversity of agroecosystems with tangible socio-economic contributions and as an alternative contribution to monocultures such as African palm in the country with special significance for the Chiapas State, the establishment of this fruit as a food crop, for its high nutritional value, could be within the options as a regulatory food, within the agroecosystems, likewise, it constitutes an alternative production necessary for its adaptability to the manifest effects of irregularities as a result of climate change. In the present work a description is made about the development of rambutan cultivation in Mexico. The main scientific results obtained in the country are addressed to achieve productive and marketable successes at national and international level, the main obstacles and opportunities for their production are exposed by conventional and agroecological methods, their advantages and disadvantages. The results of a diagnosis made in a town of Villa Comaltitlán Municipality in Chiapas are presented. Finally, the reasons why it is necessary to start a training process based on the results of the investigations initiated a decade ago of having established the rambutan in this locality are observed.

Key words: food; rural development; diversity; Agroecology; training

INTRODUCTION

Mexican agriculture and opportunities for the cultivation of rambutan

Mexico comprises a territorial extension of 198 million hectares of which only 15% is destined to the agricultural sector ¹, in which a high diversity of crops and methods of agriculture are developed ².

The Mexican agricultural space has been diversified not only by the great variety of climates and soils, as well as the diversity of landscape forms and dissimilar cultures, but also by the increase in population, which already amounts to some 130 million people ¹ .The agricultural production of Mexico is destined for the feeding of the people in the big cities of the country, while some horticultural and fruit products, supplement part of the international market, mainly the North American and of other parts of the world, which decide the type and quality of the products they wish to acquire ³.

However, food production has been developed over the last 50 years under the principles of high-input agriculture, where production costs increased markedly, with appreciable damage to the natural resource, soil and other resources of the environment, when it is used disproportionate of diverse agrochemicals, while the population consumes a product of dubious internal quality ⁴. These reasons make it advisable to evaluate agroecological alternatives that are more harmonious with the environment and, in addition, to try to reduce production costs in favor of the producer's economy.

The relative success of the agricultural production of Mexico in previous years, has depended on the application of modern technology, in extensive and fertile fields that are possibilities of a small percentage of the producers of the national territory, since the money or necessary financing for driving high-input agriculture through improved seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, machinery and labor is not accessible to small producers, who are also the majority ⁵.

Another aspect to consider is the traditional crops of Mexican peasant culture such as coffee (Coffea arabica L.), cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), banana (Musa poradisiaca L.) and mango (Mangifera indica L.) among others are temporarily marginalized due to the low prices assumed in the national and international market (6); while the corn (Zea mays L.) that is produced in Mexico, which is the leading and most important crop in the daily diet of Mexicans, has been replaced in the national market by corn imported from North America, as a result of agreements emanating from governmental policies ⁷.

A significant number of new crops are part of the productive programs and plans within the agriculture of Mexico ⁸; among them the African palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in Chiapas State is the crop with the largest area established given the climatic conditions of the region, for this crop, the attention and support received at governmental level for its development.

The rambutan crop in Mexico

The cultivation of rambutan has gradually incorporated into the diversity of Chiapas agroecosystems with local productive varieties (Figure 1), mainly at the initiative of farmers with results that showed good prospects for both national and international trade ⁹.

Figure 1 Plants of rambutan in production in Villa Comaltitlán, Chiapas 

The cultivation of rambutan in Chiapas Mexico, the SIAP reports a number close to the thousand hectares established ¹⁰⁾ (Figure 2A), even though it has not been possible to establish a number close to the reality of the area established in Mexico. Other authors mention that it has an area of around two thousand hectares ¹¹; likewise, the president of the Agricultural Association of Producers of Rambutan ¹², mentions that there are approximately 2,500 ha in production and another 1,000 in growth stages. This growth has been increasing since 2007, with an average yield equivalent to 10 t ha^-1 observed in Figure 2B, with annual fluctuations according to the predominant climatic conditions during the reproductive period and a price equivalent to 12.5 thousand of Mexican pesos per ton in the domestic market. Such behavior shows that the rambutan, constitutes a productive option of great benefit for the farmers of fresh fruit. Prices of rambutan until 2016 (Figure 2C) in the local informal market fluctuated between 12 and 15 thousand Mexican pesos per ton of fresh fruit, equivalent to 1000 dollars per ton, figure that has increased in 2017, due to weather conditions adverse to the crop, caused by untimely rains, which have caused the fall of flowers and fruits, therefore, lower production volumes ⁹.

Figure 2 Area planted with rambutan (ha) (A), yields of the rambutan crop (t ha^-1) (B) and sale price of rambutan ($ t^-1) (C) in Chiapas Mexico ¹⁰  

Bases and principles of agroecology

Agroecology is responsible for the study of agroecosystems, the interrelation between biotic and abiotic factors existing in a given place ¹³.

The agroecosystem that is the base where agroecology is applied as a science and in which matter and energy are exchanged. It potentially has a high diversity of living organisms useful to agroecosystems. These are well managed by man, as they have an impact on a better ecological balance in favor of environmental conservation ¹⁴.

Therefore, agroecology as an applied science goes beyond alternative agricultural practices; it is about developing agroecosystems with minimal dependence on inputs and external, productive and diversified energy, without causing irreparable damage to the agroecosystem ¹⁵. Likewise, it incorporates ideas on an approach of agriculture more linked to the environment and more socially sensitive; focused not only on production but also on the ecological sustainability of the production system ¹⁶. This science is providing the scientific, methodological and technical bases for a new agrarian revolution on a world scale (^16-18)

Agroecology as a science, according to another author, integrates traditional knowledge and advances in ecology and agronomy, providing tools to design systems that, based on the interactions of biodiversity ¹⁹, work by themselves and favor their own fertility, pest regulation, health and productivity, without requiring technological packages.

The basic principles of agroecology include: the recycling of nutrients and energy, the substitution of external inputs; the improvement of organic matter and the biological activity of the soil; the diversification of plant species and the genetic resources of agroecosystems in time and space; the integration of crops with livestock, and the optimization of the interactions and productivity of the agricultural system as a whole, instead of the isolated yields of the different species ⁽²⁰. The principles of agroecology can be applied to any activity, either small or large scale ²¹.

Sustainability and resilience are achieved through the diversity and complexity of agricultural systems through polycultures, rotations, agroforestry systems, use of native seeds and local livestock breeds, natural pest control, use of compost and fertilizer green and an increase of the organic matter of the soil, which contributes to improve the biological activity and the capacity of water retention ²².

Agro-ecological efficiency intercropping of crops

Polycultures, mixed crops or associated crops are multiple cropping systems, where two or more crops grow together on the same land surface during part or all of their cycle ¹⁷.

The associations of crops are characterized by interspecific competition, whose ecological principle raises the impossibility that two species can grow simultaneously in the same agricultural space without competition; however, certain plants facilitate conditions so that others can grow in the agricultural space, without affecting the main crop and achieve additional production. But the facilitation depends on the time that the main crop provides to occupy its space ²³.

To conduct a polyculture, it is vital to know the breeding of the crops included in the system, their production cycles, the architecture of the different species, the nutritional incompatibility by pests, as well as possible allelopathic effects.

To evaluate the economic efficiency of polycultures, several mathematical indices have been created (IET, ATER, AHER, among others), the Equivalent Index of Land Use (EIT) being the most widely used in Cuba.

Different authors have pointed out the advantages of the association compared with monoculture ^23-27. However, in the international literature appear results of supposedly efficient economic associations that in fact are not, given that the main crops have not been planted or planted at their optimal densities; On the other hand, to assess the efficiency of polycultures from the economic point of view, the EIT is currently insufficient, if other indicators such as energy efficiency (Mj/ha) and food indicators such as protein production, are not analyzed carbohydrates and fats and vitamins; as well as the production of biomass and its quality among others, aspects that are vital to evaluate the profitability of the system ²⁸.

Agroecological efficiency of covers

A cover crop is defined as a vegetative cover that protects the soil and that is temporary or permanent and that is associated with other crops or plants ^29,30. These coverages can be alive or dead, which provides the possibility for the last case, its transfer from one place to another.

The use of cover crops is a versatile and adaptable agroecological technique that can substitute external inputs such as herbicides and fertilizers ³¹. They are important in tropical regions with heavy rains, because they improve the absorption of water ¹⁷. Similarly, they are efficient in soil conservation because they reduce: the impact of falling water droplets, runoff, and nutrient leaching and soil erosion. They control the presence of weeds and reduce the spread of numerous pathogens ^32,33. Soil temperatures can decrease due to the effect of cover ²², insect pests are less abundant in polycultures than in monocultures due to the increase of parasitoids and predators as natural controls of insect pests’ populations ³³.

Cover crops are crops that are sown with the objective of improving soil fertility and water quality, controlling weeds and pests, and increasing biodiversity in agroecological production systems ³⁴. In this way, ecological systems are managed to produce food, feed or fibers. Coverage crops are of interest in sustainable agriculture, as many of them promote sustainability and also indirectly improve the quality of neighboring natural ecosystems ³⁵.

The dead vegetation cover depends on the establishment of live coverings since they are used to cover the field after the end of the vegetative cycle ³⁶. In general, mechanical tools are used to cut the cover plants and other implements that allow covering plants to be distributed on the ground. Cover crops converted into dead cover, have the particularity of interacting with microorganisms, retain moisture and reduce weeds. According to investigations ³⁷, the rice chaff in the row of the plantain cultivation retains the humidity of the first 10 cm in increase to the control without 10 days after a watering to the field capacity for a yellowish Ferralitic soil.

Covers in perennial crops

The use of coverage crops in perennial crops is a very old practice in agriculture. Its use until the 50s of the twentieth century, before the introduction of agrochemicals, was widespread in agricultural production systems. The use of cover crops in perennial systems is much more recognized than their use in annual crops. The use of cover crops in coconut, rubber and sisal plantations has been considered, in which they provide a method of weed control that saves labor, reduces soil erosion and provides nutrients to the soil.

Other authors make recommendations for the management of coverage in the cultivation of rambutan ³⁸; likewise, in other investigations they mention that the mature leaves detached form a vegetal layer that serves as cover and prevents the development of weed ³⁹, and jointly it reduces the possibility of the erosion of the land, with incorporation of that vegetal layer like organic matter. However, they do not present specific data and results that demonstrate the benefits of coverage in the cultivation of rambutan.

Researchers evaluated different types of weed control ⁴⁰, presenting the use of coverage as methods of weed management in rambutan cultivation, finding that in the June-December period, the highest amount of rainfall in the Soconusco, Chiapas region occurs, the best treatment was the chemical control, comparing it with the treatments under study, reducing the economic expenses up to 80%. As for the control with dead cover, a greater diversity of weeds was observed, but with a reduced number of individuals per square meter. In 2012, it was reported that the coverage for longer evaluation are efficient for the agroecological management of weeds ⁴¹, reducing the use of agrochemicals.

Influence in the coverages in soil properties

Coverage crops with legumes can reduce the application of some external inputs such as fertilizers ⁴², through the contribution and recycling of nutrient ³², incorporating atmospheric nitrogen and symbiotic fixation. It is estimated that nitrogen transfer occurs mainly through the decomposition of its waste where 40 % of the N contained in the plants of a plant cover can become available in the soil the first year, while the remaining 60 % will find available if the plant cover is incorporated as a green fertilizer ³⁵.

In other studies, they evaluated the contribution of nutrients to the soil from two varieties of Mucuna: Mucuna pruriens and Mucuna sp, in a transitional soil between forest (Rhodic Ferrasol) and savanna (Haplic Acrisol), from Ghana Africa ⁴³. In this study, nitrogen fixation was obtained from the Mucuna pruriens of 107.7 kg N ha^-1, of which 57.8 % came from the atmosphere. On the other hand, the Mucuna sp contributed 46.1 kg N ha^-1 of which 22.6 % was fixed from the atmosphere; highlighting the greater efficiency in the fixation of Nitrogen, of the variety Mucuna pruriens.

The living coverage of legumes represent a viable alternative for the improvement of the physical properties of the soils, increasing the moisture contents ⁴⁴, the total specific volume of pores, the structure coefficient, as well as the percentage of stable aggregates to the water on the ground, where the coverage is established ^27).

The use of cover contributes to the improvement of the physical and chemical properties of the soil and to a greater biological diversity ⁴⁵, in the same way, they indicate that the cover crops increase the content of organic matter in the soil ⁴⁶, causing an increase in the population of microorganisms and earthworms, which contribute to recycling nutrients and improving soil structure.

Biological diversity considers the communities of soil organisms that are divided into three large guilds: bacteria, fungi and different groups of fauna, in which the mesofauna is found, intervening directly in the processes of fragmentation and redistribution of organic waste, which facilitates the decomposition of organic matter and the availability of nutrients in the root zone, as well as the acceleration of nutrient recycling and mineralization of phosphorus ⁴⁵.

Influence of the coverages in the microclimate of crop

Soil temperature influences the physical, chemical and biological processes that occur in it and varies considerably with the type of plant. Soil moisture plays an important role in determining the amount of heat used in the evaporation process of the water in it ⁴⁷.

Soil temperatures are influenced by their natural coverage and especially by organic residues or other types of protective coverings, applied on their surface. In periods of heat they keep the surface of the soil cooler than in cases where there is no cover. In contrast, in cold periods, they function as moderators of rapid temperature drops ⁴⁸.

The use of vegetation cover in the production of crops influences the conservation of soil moisture. The amount of water in the soil is one of its most specific characteristics and is determined fundamentally by several factors including: its texture, its content of organic matter, the composition of its mineral and organic fractions and the arrangement of the physical environment edaphic, as opposed to rains or artificial irrigation and consumption caused by evapotranspiration ⁴⁹.

Influence of coverage on the increase of biodiversity

There is abundant agroecological literature that describes how the diversification of agroecosystems leads to a regulation of pests by providing habitats and resources to a complex beneficial fauna ^13,22.

All the organisms present in the soil breathe and the vast majority of aerobic organisms release CO2 in the process. The total CO2 released includes breathing throughout the flora and fauna of the soil and roots. Therefore, the amount of CO₂ released is an indicator of the biological (aerobic) activity in the soil ^16,50.

A high respiration rate indicates a high level of biological activity and can signal the rapid decomposition of organic matter and the release of nutrients. An indirect method of estimating soil biological activity is respirometry, which consists of the amount of CO₂ released from the soil per unit area or per unit mass, in a given time. The presence of Mucuna pruriens modified the structure, composition and diversity of soil biota and stimulated the development of organisms that can promote soil structuring and make nutrients more available ⁴³.

General analysis of the influence of coverage on some of the main properties of the soil

The analysis carried out on the use of covers on the main properties of the soil indicates that they are very beneficial for the sustainability of the productive system, especially in perennial crops such as fruit or forest and those that like the banana (Musa spp) can last for several years after several harvests (^51).

Its benefits are not only economic (less expenditure on inputs, increased production and decrease in cultural work), but also environmental, by increasing biotic diversity with regulation of weeds, without using means that can affect the quality of natural resources like the chemical products at the same time that could also contaminate the aquifers and the food crops ⁵².

From the sociocultural point of view, it is possible to instruct the actors in the conservation of biomass as part of the richness of the agroecosystem, whose decomposition benefits the successor crops. In fact, it teaches us to understand that the use of fire for its destruction constitutes an inappropriate option from the agroecological perspective.

Therefore, alive and dead cover are alternatives for agroecological management of great possibilities of use especially in perennial crops, provided that there is no known negative allelopathic effects between recipient and donor plants.

Results of a survey on the farming of rambutan in Chiapas and Villa Comaltitlán Mexico

For the local actors of Comaltitlán where the diagnosis was carried out, the results of the surveys were supported by the methodology proposed by García ⁵³, used by Vaz Pereira ⁵⁴ and adjusted to the conditions of Chiapas Mexico, it was possible to visualize that only two farmers cultivate it in this locality, those who also argued lacking the necessary technical knowledge to establish commercial plantations, with perspectives superior to those that they currently possess. For these reasons, the possibility of training and contributing to the achievement of new plantations on agroecological bases is perceived.

The tendency to increase in areas occupied by this crop, occurred until 2012. The indicators of production, yields and prices until 2016 have been positive. However, production costs when the principles of high-input agriculture are used, can reach from the field establishment to the first harvest a total expenditure of around 8 thousand dollars ha^-1. Additionally, the producer increases his expenses with the use of diverse agrochemicals and the population consumes a probably contaminated product.

These reasons make it advisable to evaluate agroecological alternatives that are more harmonious with the environment and, in addition, lower production costs, in favor of the farmer's economy.

The intercropping of short-cycle crops can be an efficient alternative to reduce the costs of establishing this crop. Preliminary results indicate that the sowing of short-cycle crops during the first three years and at the rate of two crops per year can decrease total expenses by up to 20 %, only by using this alternative ⁵⁵.

In the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico, rambutan is a fruit crop of significant economic importance, emerging as an alternative to more profitable and attractive conversion and productive diversification, over traditional cocoa and coffee crops ⁵⁶. For a large sector of the rural population, this crop is unknown, which is why it limits its extension among producers ⁵⁷; however, the results of the diagnosis made in 2011, by the author of this work, showed the following results.

In Comaltitlán this crop only represents 0.003 % of the total cultivable area, with three hectares established in production. As indicated by the only two farmers in the area, this crop has been an innovation in their farms, since it is a very attractive fruit for its taste and its organoleptic properties.

The results of the socioeconomic and environmental analysis of the indicators with their variables also assume a value of the Acceptance Index of the crop (Figure 3), based on considering a value for each indicator in correspondence with the information obtained from the reports, interviews with decision-makers, actors and facilitators. The qualitative value was evaluated through a weighted scale of values of 0-10 according to investigations ²⁸.

Figura 3 Análisis socioeconómico y medioambiental del cultivo de rambután en Villa Comaltitlán 

Despite there being clear objective conditions of acceptance of the crop, the ignorance of the agronomic techniques is the limiting indicator of sustainability (economic, ecological and sociocultural dimension), a reason that recommends its strengthening.

At present the production is destined to the local market. Sales of 70 % of the total are made from the producer's own home to the consumer, at a rate of 15 pesos per kilogram of fruit throughout the harvest season. 30 % of the production is sold through the wholesale market (resellers) at a price of 10 pesos per kilogram. The harvest is done manually, since the physiological maturation in the first harvests does not take place in a homogeneous way, so it makes it possible to carry out harvests every two or three days.

After three years of harvesting the rambutan, the actors qualify this crop as very kind and contributes significantly to the economic income of their homes. There is no legal limitation that prevents international commercialization, except those that emanate from international buyers, which demand the standards established by the Codex Norm for Rambutan 246-2005 which indicates: (i) uniform red color (ii) free of damages (iii) fruit weight greater than 30 g and (iv) total soluble solids from 16 to 18 % ⁵⁸.

Characterization of rambutan growers and their cultivation knowledge

According to the survey (Table 1), rambutan producers in the Soconusco region have, on average, more than 50 years of age, and more than 10 in cultivation as the main activity, accounting for 60 % of their economy. More than 70 % of them dedicate all their energies to this crop, which represents 90 % of the total area, which on average reached 10 ha per producer.

Table 1 Socio-productive characterization of rambutan farmers in Chiapas 

Characteristics	Mean
Age of the producer (years)	53,0
Time in the activity (years)	13,5
Agriculture as the main economic activity (%)	77,8
Producers with other economic activities (%)	100
Contributions to family economic income (%)	60
Time devoted to cultivation (%)	70
Average area per producer dedicated to the crop (ha)	10
Average area/producer in production (ha)	4
Average yield of rambutan t ha^-1 crop	11,5
Percentage of first quality fruit (%)	70
Unawareness of proper crop management (%)	80
Empirical knowledge (%)	80
Knowledge through training (%)	25

Predominant production technology in the rambutan cultivation

The importance of this crop can be seen in that in spite of the above they reach yields that surpass 11 t ha-1 of which 70 % is of first quality, even though 60 % of the producers do not know the adequate management of the crop and 80% work agriculture with ancestral knowledge.

Only 25 % have received training. However, training is a broad concept, from which it can be deduced, that it is an interactive process among people, sometimes informal, that generates knowledge, favorable to the producer based on personal interests that they have in the subject in question. There popular education is present, which has gained indisputable strength at present ⁵⁹.

Predominant production technology in the rambutan cultivation

Figure 4, represents the predominant production technology in the crop, making an analysis from the quantitative point of view, it is perceived that the activities of maximum priority for the producer are seven management tasks. Plant nutrition, irrigation, weed management, pruning and activities related to the harvest, as the most significant. The technical knowledge about these phytotechnical tasks is vital for productive success.

Figure 4 Indicators and relevant variables of technology applied by producers in Chiapas 

However, it is agroecology, the science in charge of promoting the most useful technological alternatives for the producer, based on the use of tools conducive to the protection of the three dimensions of sustainability ^19,60 and that, if taken back by the actors can contribute to improving the uncertain landscape that falls on the most vulnerable actors to be dragged into high-input agriculture. It is observed that the basic activities are developed through high input technology; that is, management of pests, weeds, nutrition, and water supply (Figure 4). However, the pruning and the criteria about the optimal moments to carry out the harvests are made following variables of the ancestral knowledge that seem to be efficient. It is appreciated that the aspects that have to do with the internal organization and its operation, stand out as deficient activities.

This characterization is a clear reflection in all the rural settlements of most Latin American countries ⁶¹ and it is repeated under the conditions of Huambo, Angola ⁵⁴. The absence of habits towards expenditure records and the lack of guidance directed towards these objectives is essential to assess the sustainability of agroecosystems ²³.

As a summary, about the results of the surveys, in general they show that producing rambutan in Comaltitlán is a risk-free opportunity, which deserves to be assumed as a productive-commercial item.

The high increase of African palm plantations (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) In the last 10 years, according to research ⁶², has limited fruit production, in addition to the reduction of traditional crops such as coffee, cocoa and mango that have lost market by its low prices, facilitating the conditions to increase the areas of rambutan cultivation, in order to raise the local standard of living, without causing damage to the ecological balance.

Main limitations to develop the rambutan cultivation

The cultivation of rambutan is an export fruit, mainly to Japan, the United States, Canada, Central America and the European Union ⁹. However, the main problems for its implementation have been the lack of knowledge about its management, the fear of production risks and the lack of information on quality standards.

From the point of view of the disadvantages expressed in terms of threats and weaknesses, for rambutan producers they seem to be related to production costs. The spread of the so-called mealybug pest and the effects and consequences of climate change. For the first, there are the agroecological alternatives, as an option capable of counteracting this weakness, for the second there are non-polluting agro-ecological management alternatives that will have to be studied for the substitution of agrochemicals among other agro-technical alternatives such as polycultures, while for the last disadvantage ( valid for any crop) just wait for the adaptation process. Water management in the cultivation of rambutan can be a consistent option for the incorporation of resilience to the productive systems, among which the productive movement by the rambutan must be included.

Main opportunities of the rambutan cultivation in Mexico

The rambutan is a fruit tree, whose fresh fruit is consumed every time in the country. This crop has not yet reached a wide distribution. However, like other perennial crops (cocoa, coffee, mango and others), this fruit is one of the real alternatives for the transformation of different agroecosystems that are very degraded, lack alternatives with economic perspectives and that have the edaphoclimatic conditions for the development of this crop.

In Mexico, in the state of Chiapas and especially in the Soconusco region, important areas have been developed for the cultivation of rambutan. More than 2000 hectares are cultivated with commercial fruit plantations. The quality of the fruit in the Soconusco has been accepted in international markets exporting to Central America, the United States, Canada and the European Union. That single example shows the potential that Mexico has if it embraces this crop within its agrarian priorities.

Opportunities of the rambutan cultivation in other countries of Central America and the Caribbean

The rambutan is an exotic and attractive fruit for the markets of the cold countries and in the same way for the local and regional markets of the tropical countries. This crop can be an accessible and economic alternative for any country in Central America and the Caribbean ⁶³, especially for a diversification of fruit areas and according to their agro-ecological requirements so that high-quality fruits can be obtained externally and internally. To acquire it, it will be essential to apply correct methods of protection and management suitable for postharvest conservation ⁶⁴; as well as, apply protection measures during the marketing process in terms of packing, packaging and storage until sale.

CONCLUSIONS

• Agro-ecological practices should be considered and considered as alternatives to strengthen collective actions and improve production through this means. These tools could be part of a base to develop different investigations.

• Research with chronological information, which includes the study of the agroecological status of the plantations, it is necessary to apply indicators on sustainability of the production systems, where it could be identified what favored and what damaged the process of adoption of those agroecological productive practices, in addition to the social and cultural transformation that the action implies for the Mexican countryside. Therefore the approach to the why, why, how and context of collective action that offers a comprehensive and holistic diagnosis.

• The cultivation of rambutan may be a viable alternative for the diversification of agricultural areas with fruit trees, which would represent a viable alternative for the economic and social well-being of small producers and an ecological efficiency if it is managed with alternatives where use is diminished of agrochemicals using practices that go beyond conventionalism, for an ecological transformation of agricultural areas, such as the use of live and dead coverings in substitution of herbicides, the use of organic fertilizers and biological fertilization instead of inorganic fertilizers.

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Received: January 22, 2018; Accepted: December 04, 2018

^*Autor para correspondencia. [e-mail]