ABSTRACT The inclusion of more sustainable alternatives such as bacterial inoculants is a viable option for the competitiveness of vegetable crops in tropical countries such as Colombia. The economic feasibility of a bacterial suspension of G. diazotrophicus applied to the carrot crop was determined. The native isolate G. diazotrophicus GIBI029 was evaluated and the strain ATCC 49037 was used as a control. The experiment was installed in a subdivided plot design, where the plot was the bacterium G. diazotrophicus (ATCC49037 and GIBI029. The subplot was the concentration of G. diazotrophicus (88×106 CFU/mL and 18×107 CFU/mL) and, in it, the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus (0% and 100% nitrogen and phosphorus) were assorted. The average weight of the carrot (g) and the yield by quality of the consuming organ (kg/ha) were evaluated. Through the production cycle, fixed, variable, and total costs were calculated. Benefit / cost ratios higher than 1.46 and net income up to US$ 10,817/ha were achieved. It is possible to efficiently and economically use the native isolate G. diazotrophicus GIBI029 in the search for more sustainable and competitive cultural practices.

En este trabajo se trata la producción biotecnológica de alcohol carburante incluyendo el análisis de la necesidad de utilizar oxigenantes para la gasolina, el etanol como aditivo oxigenante, los diversos métodos de producción de bioetanol a partir de diferentes materias primas, y las nuevas tendencias para mejorar los procesos de su obtención.

Summary The present work deals with the biotechnological production of fuel ethanol. It includes the analysis of the need for utilizing oxygenating additives for gasoline, fuel ethanol as oxygenating agent, diverse methods for bioethanol production from different feedstocks, and new trends for improving its production processes.

Resumo Neste trabalho se trata a produção biotecnológica de álcool carburante incluindo a análise da necessidade de utilizar oxigenantes para a gasolina, o etanol como aditivo oxigenante, os diversos métodos de produção de bioetanol a partir de diferentes matérias primas, e as novas tendências para melhorar os processos de sua obtenção.

En este trabajo se presentan los principales métodos de separación de mezclas etanol-agua. Se discuten los aspectos ambientales de la producción de bioetanol. Se analizan las principales tendencias en la integración del proceso productivo de obtención de alcohol carburante, destacándose la importancia de la intensificación de procesos reacción-reacción, reacción-separación y separación-separación.

In this work, the main methods for separation of ethanol-water mixtures are presented. Environmental issues of bioethanol production are discussed. Major trends for integration of fuel ethanol production process are analyzed, emphasizing the importance of the intensification for reaction-reaction, reaction-separation and separation-separation processes.

Neste trabalho se apresentam os principais métodos de separação de misturas etanol-água. Se discutem os aspectos ambientais da produção de bioetanol. Se analisam as principais tendências na integração do processo produtivo de obtenção de álcool carburante, destacando-se a importância da intensificação de processos reação-reação, reação-separação e separação-separação.