Purple corn (Zea mays L.) is a nutraceutical crop of increasing economic importance in Peru, yet its productivity is highly influenced by genotype × environment (G × E) interactions across heterogeneous agro-ecological zones. Therefore, selecting suitable genotypes for specific environments is essential to optimize variety deployment and maximize site-specific yield. Five purple-maize genotypes (INIA-601, INIA-615, Canteño, PMV-581, and Sintético-MM) were evaluated in four contrasting Peruvian sites using a randomized complete-block design. Grain yield, field weight, anthesis–silking interval (ASI), plant height, and ear-rot incidence were analyzed with combined analysis of variance (ANOVA), the additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), genotype and genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplots, Weighted Average of Absolute Scores (WAAS), weighted average of absolute scores and best yield index (WAASBY), and Y × WAAS indices. Environment accounted for 90.1% of field-weight variation (p < 0.0001) and 50.2% of grain-yield variation (p < 0.001), while significant G × E interactions (3.93% and 18.14%, respectively) justified bilinear modeling. AMMI1 and GGE “which-won-where” biplots identified INIA-615 and PMV-581 as broadly adapted, with INIA-615 achieving the highest WAASBY and positioning in quadrant IV of Y × WAAS (high yield, high stability). INIA-601 and Sintético-MM exhibited exceptional stability (low ASV) but moderate productivity; Canteño showed limited adaptability. Chumbibamba emerged as a key discriminating, high-productivity location. From an agronomic perspective, INIA-615 is recommended for high-productivity valleys such as Sulluscocha and Santa Rita, where its yield potential and stability are maximized. These findings underscore the potential of integrating multivariate stability metrics with physiological and disease-resistance traits to guide the selection of superior purple corn cultivars. Overall, INIA-615 represents a robust candidate for enhancing yield stability, supporting sustainable intensification, and expanding the nutraceutical value chain of purple corn in the Andean highlands.

The cultivation of potatoes is essential for rural food security, and the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Red-Green-Blue (UAV-RGB) imagery allows for precise and cost-effective estimation of yield and identification of varieties, overcoming the limitations of manual assessment. We evaluated four INIA varieties (Bicentenario, Canchán, Shulay and Tahuaqueña) by integrating agronomic measurements (height, number and weight of tubers, leaf health) with color and textural indices derived from RGB orthomosaics. Yield prediction was modeled using Random Forest (RF) and Gradient Boosting (GB); varietal identification was approached with (i) a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that classifies RGB images and (ii) classical models such as Random Forest, Support Vector Machines (SVMs), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNNs), Decision Trees and Logistic Regression trained on EfficientNetB0 embeddings. The results showed significant genotypic differences in yield (p < 0.001): Tahuaqueña 13.86 ± 0.27 t ha⁻¹ and Bicentenario 6.65 ± 0.27 t ha⁻¹. The number of tubers (r = 0.52) and plant height (r = 0.23) correlated with yield; RGB indices showed low correlations (r < 0.3) and high redundancy (r > 0.9). RF achieved a better fit (Coefficient of determination, R² = 0.54; Root Mean Square Error, RMSE = 2.72 t ha⁻¹), excelling in stolon development (R² = 0.66) and losing precision in maturation due to foliar senescence. In classification, the CNN and RF on embeddings achieved F1-macro ≈ 0.69 and 0.66 (Receiver Operating Characteristic—Area Under the Curve, ROC AUC RF = 0.89), with better identification of Bicentenario and Shulay. We conclude that UAV-RGB is a cost-effective alternative for phenotypic monitoring and varietal selection in high Andean contexts. These findings support the integration of UAV-RGB imagery into breeding and monitoring pipelines in resource-limited Andean systems.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a strategic crop for climate-smart agriculture in the Andes, yet yield gains are constrained by soil degradation and low-input systems. We tested whether synergistic bioinoculation with a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (Azospirillum brasilense) and an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum) enhances root function and grain productivity under field conditions. A split-plot RCBD was conducted in Ayacucho, Peru (2735 m a.s.l.) using four cultivars, Blanca de Junín (BJ), INIA 441 Señor del Huerto (SH), INIA 415 Pasankalla (RP) and INIA 420 Negra Collana (NC) and four treatments: uninoculated control, Azospirillum, Glomus and co-inoculation. Vegetative, root and yield traits were quantified; ANOVA, Tukey/Dunnett contrasts, correlations and PCA were applied. Co-inoculation consistently outperformed single inoculants, increasing root diameter, length, branching, dry weight and volume dry weight, while also enlarging panicle dimensions and raising grain weight per panicle and thousand-seed weight. Grain yield reached 4.94 ± 0.59 t ha⁻¹ under co-inoculation, almost triple that of the control (1.71 ± 0.28 t ha⁻¹) and about 1.5 times higher than single inoculations. Genotypic effects were pronounced; BJ and SH combined superior root biomass with higher yield, RP maximized grain size and hectoliter weight, whereas NC responded weakly. Significant genotype × treatment interactions indicated cultivar-dependent microbiome benefits. Correlation and PCA linked root biomass and stem/panicle architecture to yield formation, positioning co-inoculation along trait vectors associated with belowground vigor and productivity. These results demonstrate a robust microbial synergy that translates root gains into yield, supporting co-inoculation as a scalable, low-input strategy for sustainable intensification of quinoa in highland agroecosystems.

El maíz morado (Zea mays L.), originario de los Andes peruanos, destaca por su alto contenido de antocianinas, lo que le otorga un valor nutracéutico creciente en mercados globales. Sin embargo, su cultivo en zonas altoandinas suele depender del uso intensivo de fertilizantes sintéticos, comprometiendo la sostenibilidad del suelo. Este estudio evaluó como la bioinoculación individual y combinada con Azospirillum brasilense y Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum influyen en caracteres morfofisiológicos radicales en cinco variedades contrastantes de maíz morado, cultivadas en la región de Ayacucho (2735 m s.n.m.). Se aplicó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con cuatro tratamientos de bioinoculación. Se midieron peso seco, longitud, volumen, diámetro y número de ramificaciones radiculares. La coinoculación microbiana generó diferencias altamente significativas (p < 0.0001) en todos los parámetros evaluados respecto al control. En particular, duplicó el volumen radical (28,0 ± 0,41 cm³), triplicó el peso seco (180,29 ± 8,51 g) y mejoró notablemente la longitud (31,81 ± 0,48 cm), el diámetro (128,36 ± 2,3 mm) y el número de ramificaciones (27,28 ± 0,66), superando tanto a las inoculaciones individuales como al control (Tukey, p < 0.05). Los resultados confirman que la coinoculación rizobacteria-micorriza mejora significativamente la arquitectura del sistema radical, potenciando la absorción de nutrientes. Así, la coinoculación representa una estrategia agroecológica eficaz para optimizar el rendimiento del maíz morado y reducir la dependencia de insumos sintéticos en contextos altoandinos.

Potato production in the Andean highlands demands strategies that reduce dependence on synthetic inputs without sacrificing yield. We evaluated two microbial bioinputs—Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma viride—applied once pre-plant to seed tubers, under three organo-mineral fertilization regimes (0%, 50%, and 100% of the recommended NPK rate) in two cultivars (INIA 303-Canchán and Yungay) in field conditions in Ayacucho, Peru, using a randomized complete block, split-plot design (three replicates). Agronomic traits (plant height, root dry weight, stems per plant, tubers per plant, and plot-level yield) were analyzed with robust two-way ANOVA and multivariate methods. Combining microbial inoculation with 50% NPK sustained growth responses comparable to 100% NPK for key traits: in Yungay with T. viride, plant height at 50% NPK (≈96.15 ± 1.71 cm) was not different from 100% NPK (≈98.87 ± 1.70 cm), and root dry weight at 50% NPK (≈28.50 ± 0.28 g) matched or exceeded 100% NPK (≈16.97–22.62 g depending on cultivar–treatment). Notably, T. viride increased root biomass even without mineral fertilizer (≈27.62 ± 0.29 g in Yungay), while B. subtilis enhanced canopy vigor and stem number at full NPK (≈4.5 ± 0.29 stems). Yungay out-yielded INIA 303-Canchán overall (≈57.5 ± 2.5 kg vs. ≈42.7 ± 2.5 kg per plot). The highest yields occurred with B. subtilis + 100% NPK (≈62.88 ± 6.07 kg per plot), followed by B. subtilis + 50% NPK (≈51.7 ± 6.07 kg per plot). Plant height was the strongest correlate of yield (Spearman ρ ≈ 0.60), underscoring its value as a proxy for productivity. Overall, a single pre-plant inoculation with B. subtilis or T. viride can halve mineral fertilizer inputs while maintaining growth and sustaining high, cultivar-dependent yields in highland potato systems.

Los microorganismos del suelo tienen un gran potencial para desarrollar sistemas agrícolas integrados y sostenibles. Particularmente, la interacción entre hongos y bacterias nitrificantes favorecen el desarrollo y producción de las plantas de cultivo. En este estudio se evaluaron cuatro consorcios microbianos para potenciar la producción de semilla y el rendimiento comercial de papa var. Única en Arequipa, Perú. Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completos al azar con tres repeticiones, donde se registró altura de planta, número de tallos, variables de rendimiento desagregadas por calibre (RS1-RS3) y consumo (> 120 g), número de semillas por planta y materia seca. Los datos se analizaron mediante análisis de varianza y prueba de comparación de Tukey (p<0,05). La combinación Trichoderma harzianum/viride + microorganismos eficaces (T2) incrementó la altura un 40 % respecto al testigo y alcanzó el mayor rendimiento total (31,8 t ha⁻¹). T. harzianum/viride + Azotobacter salinestris (T1) triplicó el peso de tubérculos de consumo (20,9 t ha⁻¹), mientras que MOBs-INIA + T. harzianum/viride (T3) obtuvo una producción de semilla de primera (9,39 t ha⁻¹) y tercera (0,43 t ha⁻¹) categoría, lo que significó un incremento superior al doble del rendimiento respecto al testigo (T5). Los consorcios microbianos formaron grupos superiores para número de semillas y calibre RS1-RS3. La materia seca y la ramificación no variaron significativamente, aunque mostraron ligeras mejoras en T1 y T2. En conjunto, los resultados sugieren que la coinoculación mejoró el rendimiento comercial y la disponibilidad de semilla de papa var. Única bajo las condiciones específicas del presente ensayo en la región de Arequipa.