Latin America
Smallholder Latin American farmers are hoping to mitigate climate change by combining advanced technologies with traditional methods. In Brazil, farmers are using traditional drip irrigation and fertilization techniques; Uruguay is monitoring its soil, climate and water; Bolivia is hoping to use irrigation water from snowmelt; and Haiti is looking at flood-resistant seeds. Most of those projects are being funded by the World Bank.
Many agricultural pest of economic importance are not detectable by scientists and decision makers from Latin American countries because they lack the technical ability to do so, say UK researchers. The scientists used a model to estimate how many pests could be detected with an investment in research and development similar to that of the United States and concluded that developing countries, on average, have 205 agricultural pests undetected due to lack of investment.
Argentina
Argentine scientists wrote the first guide in Spanish on Antarctic birds in which four species were included that have never before been registered because they are difficult to observe.
An international team of scientists participated in the discovery of the first asteroid with rings. It was dubbed Chariklo and is located between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus.
Argentine scientists have launched a pilot system that intends on studying the evolution of Antarctic glaciers using sensors attached to satellites.
A project of the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán to create smart clothing took its first big step to find electrodes that, be incorporated into clothing, medical parameters used to register
Mexico
UNAM scientists have found in Cozumel caves with an ‘extreme’ species of starfish, the only ones in the world able to live in anchialine caves. The species is named Copidaster cavernicola.
Chile
A large camera on a telescope in Chile has observed a frozen planet that redefines the boundary of our solar system. The planet was named “2012 VP113” and has a strange orbit suggesting it was dragged to its current position.
Plans for the Chilean science ministry have been put on hold.
Costa Rica
The Bull Shark Project being conducted by Costa Rican scientists looks at bull sharks inhabiting the archipelago.