The compost production has been poorly explored in the agricultural areas of Mexico City. Farmers tend to use fresh manure as fertilizer on soil cultivation. The borough of Milpa Alta, as the main nopal producer in Mexico, requires a high amount of fertilizers to guarantee the fulfillment of yields and times of cultivation. Nevertheless the wide use of manure as only fertilizer implies several negative aspects not only for the crop but also for the environment. The compost is presented as a feasible option to improve the quality of crops and also to diminish the production cost. Compost has features and benefits that are directly reflected in the decrease of costs against the economic and conservation costs emerged with the use of fresh manure. The present research aims to evaluate the alternative use of harmless compost with quality to be used in agriculture. It was carried out through an analysis in an experimental plant built exclusively for the project. The main goal is to demonstrate the cost reduction in the nopal production in Milpa Alta by using compost instead of fresh manure.

A review is presented about the studies that have been carried out on the phenolic composition of the species of the genus Agave in order to show which species of the genus has been analyzed, what is the potential of the species of Agave as source of phenolics with important biological activities, and what is the significance of the phenolic profiles as chemotaxonomic markers in the genus. The results of the analysis of a dozen of Agave species reveal an important richness of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, homoisoflavonoids, and phenolic acids, and a broad diversity of biological activities associated to those compounds, as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antinematod, and immunomodulatory capabilities. The phenols of Agave also have a major potential as specific chemotaxonomic markers.