Centuries of cultivation in the Highland Aynoka of Puno, Peru, have endowed indigenous crops such as potato and quinoa with rich cultural and nutritional value deeply ingrained in local traditions. This study meticulously evaluates their economic viability, environmental implications, and cultural importance by employing a mixed-methods research approach involving surveys, interviews, and observations. The outcome reveals that while the Economic Sustainability Index (EKI) moderately supports potato and quinoa production sustainability, with a value of 2.98, it falls short of significant impact. Conversely, the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) and the Social Sustainability Index (SSI) exhibit moderate levels of sustainability, recording values of 4.04 and 3.38 for ESI and SSI, respectively. These crops demonstrate acceptable economic feasibility, marked by consistent sales, income generation, and manageable production expenses. The findings underscore the urgency of endorsing sustainable farming methods to safeguard cultural heritage, boost market prospects, and fortify regional ecological robustness. Rooted in ancestral sustainability, potato and quinoa cultivation is a cornerstone in local food systems. Recognizing the cultural, economic, and environmental significance inherent to these crops, efforts can be channeled towards nurturing sustainable agricultural systems that uphold community well-being, conserve biodiversity, and facilitate cultural resilience in Puno’s Highland Aynoka.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a crucial component of the planet and is essential for agriculture development. Our region is known for its livestock and agricultural activities. Hence, understanding the spatial distribution of SOC is crucial for sustainable land management of soils in the mountain ecosystems in the Andes. The methodology consisted of obtaining 53 soil samples from depths of 0 to 105 cm, which were analyzed to obtain SOC (Kg/m²) and organic matter (OM) (%). Ordinary kriging, a geostatistical method, was used to determine SOC. Pearson’s statistical method was applied to determine the association between SOC and precipitation, temperature, altitude, and organic matter and gave acceptable correlations of 0.38, −0.32, 0.40, and 0.59. These results were used to apply weighting criteria for climatological and environmental variables. The weighted overlay tool was used for modeling and mapping the spatial variability of SOC. The estimated spatial distribution of SOC in the micro-watershed reveals an increasing trend from south to north, specifically within the 0–20 cm depth profile. The study confirmed through the spatial analysis that regions with intensive agriculture have low reserves (<3 Kg/m²) of SOC, and areas without agricultural activity but with grazing have average resources of 3 Kg/m² to 5 Kg/m² of SOC. Finally, in the upper micro-watersheds where there is no agricultural activity, the reserves are high (5 Kg/m² to 6.8 Kg/m²). Accordingly, we can promote sustainable and responsible land use practices that support long-term productivity, environmental protection, and societal well-being by prioritizing efficient land utilization, soil conservation, biodiversity conservation, land restoration, and informed land use planning in the high Andean ecosystem of Puno–Peru.

The retreats of the planet’s tropical glaciers are natural indicators of the variation of precipitation, temperature, and other variables. The glaciers of the Alto Santa sub-basin are sources of freshwater storage for consumptive and non-consumptive use for different sectors. As a result of climatic variations, it is essential to analyze the dynamics of the snow cover area (SCA). The methodology consisted of processing 6578 MODIS Snow Cover MOD10A1 product images and generating 18-year time series using the Platform Google Earth Engine (GEE). Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) was used to estimate the extent of snow cover, and to validate the MODIS snow cover product, we used the same overlapping date of Landsat 5 and 8 Surface Reflectance Tier 1, to examine the relationships between daily precipitation and temperature. The standardized correlation results gave good results with stations over 4500 m.a.s.l., such as Artesonraju AP2 (4828 m.a.s.l.) of −0.84 and −0.74, precipitation, and temperature. These results show coherent behaviors of the retreat due to the variation of the climatological variables. In some years, there were anomalies in the conduct of the three variables, but these originated from events of natural weather phenomena. Regarding the dynamics of the SCA in 18 years, it decreased from 649 km² to 311.6. km² between 2000 and 2017, representing a retreat of 41%; we can conclude and confirm that the glacier retreat is imminent due to the consequences of climate change, which would affect the security of freshwater from the tropical glaciers of the Peruvian Andes.

The increasing use of antimicrobial drugs has been linked to the rise of drug-resistant fungus in recent years. Antimicrobial resistance is being studied from a variety of perspectives due to the important clinical implication of resistance. The processes underlying this resistance, enhanced methods for identifying resistance when it emerges, alternate treatment options for infections caused by resistant organisms, and so on are reviewed, along with strategies to prevent and regulate the formation and spread of resistance. This overview will focus on the action mechanism of antifungals and the resistance mechanisms against them. The link between antibacterial and antifungal resistance is also briefly discussed. Based on their mechanism action, antifungals are divided into three distinct categories: azoles, which target the ergosterol synthesis; 5-fluorocytosine, which targets macromolecular synthesis and polyenes, which interact physiochemically with fungal membrane sterols. Antifungal resistance can arise through a wide variety of ways. Overexpression of the target of the antifungal drug, changes to the drug target, changes to sterol biosynthesis, decreased intercellular concentration of the target enzyme, and other processes. A correlation exists between the mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial and antifungals, despite the fact that the comparison between the two is inevitably constrained by various parameters mentioned in the review. Drug extrusion via membrane pumps has been thoroughly documented in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and development of new antifungal compounds and strategies has also been well characterized.

The growing global demand for healthy, gluten-free snacks has driven the food industry to explore innovative products that fit consumer preferences. This study focused on developing a gluten-free, energy-dense, and crunchy snack called Quispiño, made from quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), an ancient crop native to the Andes and particularly significant in Puno, Peru. Natural and desaponified quinoa samples were compared, revealing decreased carbohydrate content (69.75 g to 64.02 g per 100 g) and protein content (13.27 g to 12.90 g per 100 g) after desaponification. Moisture remained around 11.5%, while fiber content significantly decreased in the desaponified quinoa (from 4.39 g to 2.76 g per 100 g). The extrusion process influenced the color of the extrudates, reducing the L* value (from 75.28 to a range of 63.70–69.12), indicating darkening due to the Maillard reaction. Moisture in the extrudates ranged from 3.08% to 6.12%, while firmness varied between 7.25 N and 25.86 N, significantly influencing extrusion temperature. The water solubility index (WSI) ranged from 0.17% to 71.61%, with high values attributed to starch dextrinization during extrusion. The water absorption index (WAI) showed a significant increase, highlighting the physical changes induced by extrusion. The sectional expansion index (SEI) also varied considerably, ranging from 7.33 to 13.08, reflecting the impact of the extrusion process on the final product structure. The optimal sample was identified and subjected to an acceptability test with an untrained panel of 45 evaluators who assessed flavor, color, odor, appearance, and texture. The best-performing treatment was further analyzed for proximate composition, calcium, and iron content to compare with the raw material. The results demonstrate the potential of quinoa as a key ingredient in developing new, expanded, gluten-free snacks that meet the growing demand for nutritious and appealing food products in the global market.

In the last 30 years, rice production in Peru has grown 4.88 times. Rice in the Camaná Valley of the department of Arequipa is one of the most important food crops in the regional economy with a world record in yield for paddy rice. The objective was to analyze the innovation system in the adoption of IR-43 (NIR) and Tinajones rice varieties by rice farmers in the Camaná Valley and determine the impacts on improvements in the quality of life of farmers. This study used the innovation systems framework to explore four key aspects of innovation systems: Actors, the roles they play and the activities in which they are involved, attitudes and practices of the main actors, patterns of interaction between the main actors and the enabling environment. It was determined that the adoption of IR-43 (NIR) and Tinajones varieties was facilitated by the existence of a diversity of collective intelligence mechanisms to organize interactions for innovation, government actors have been identified (INIA, SENASA, Agrarian Agencies); private companies (CORDESA Camaná, commercial houses, phytosanitary companies), media, rice producers, a sociotechnical regime that constitutes the mills, financing entities, market information and marketing agents, forming a network of social and economic actors, which interact with each other for the adoption of rice varieties. The livelihoods of producers have been favored by human, social, natural, financial and political capital. The increase in yields and a better price of the product allows them to improve their economies.