Causative species of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) and toxins in commercially exploited molluscan shellfish species are monitored weekly from four classified shellfish production areas in Perú (three in the north and one in the south). Okadaic acid (OA) and pectenotoxins (PTXs) were detected in hand-picked cells of Dinophysis (D. acuminata-complex and D. caudata) and in scallops (Argopecten purpuratus), the most important commercial bivalve species in Perú. LC-MS analyses revealed two different toxin profiles associated with species of the D. acuminata-complex: (a) one with OA (0.3–8.0 pg cell⁻¹) and PTX2 (1.5–11.1 pg cell⁻¹) and (b) another with only PTX2 which included populations with different toxin cell quota (9.3–9.6 pg cell⁻¹ and 5.8–9.2 pg cell⁻¹). Toxin results suggest the likely presence of two morphotypes of the D. acuminata-complex in the north, and only one of them in the south. Likewise, shellfish toxin analyses revealed the presence of PTX2 in all samples (10.3–34.8 µg kg⁻¹), but OA (7.7–15.2 µg kg⁻¹) only in the northern samples. Toxin levels were below the regulatory limits established for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) and PTXs (160 µg OA kg⁻¹) in Perú, in all samples analyzed. This is the first report confirming the presence of OA and PTX in Dinophysis cells and in shellfish from Peruvian coastal waters.

Background. Micropropagation allows high rates of clonal multiplication of plants in short periods of time. However, despite being a simple technique, its implementation can be costly for regions and producers with limited resources. One of the main limiting factors is the lack of access to the inputs (QP) for the basic media that is widely published and disseminated in the literature. Other limiting factors include high costs, logistical difficulties and timely access to such inputs. Objective. In order to address these problems, the present work proposes the use of alternative inputs in the composition of the culture media for micropropagation of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas), and oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina) in semi-solid and liquid media, as well as in temporary immersion systems (SIT). Methodology. All the macro and micronutrients of the basic media were replaced with inputs available at low cost in any local market. Results. The best results for micropropagation rate, plant vigor and rooting were obtained in the medium with substituted and accesible inputs (EP medium). These results were validated for micropropagation by nodal cutting in liquid and semi-solid médium and SIT. Implications. The basic medium (EP), formulated herein may be used by any laboratory and resource-poor farmers to apply micropropagation and improve revenues. Conclusion.The production cost of the EP medium, with easily accessible inputs in low-cost local markets, is significantly cheaper than MS medium used as a control, without differences in micropropagation.

The “Huarango” Prosopis limensis is a woody species of the Fabaceae family that is in the dry forest of Ica, of key importance in this ecosystem and considered for different reasons in a state of danger. The in vitro cultivation of seeds of this species is presented as an adequate conservation strategy, due to high multiplication rates it promotes, the economy in time and production costs, and the future possibilities of improvement and reforestation. The objective of this study is the establishment of an effective methodology for the optimal germination of stored seeds of this species. The seeds were obtained from 4 representative experimental accessions from the department of Ica, which were subjected to a physical scarification treatment, immersing them in hot water (70 °C) and leaving it at rest until reaching a temperature of 37 °C. After conventional sterilization processes, seeds were sown in basic M&S medium with vitamins thiamine HCl (1,0 mg/l) and m-inositol (100 mg/l), sucrose 2% and agar 0,6%, and incubated at 23 °C +/- 2 h, for a photoperiod of 16 light hours. At 24 days the CPUC-117 accession the germination percentage was in the range of close to 95%. The results of this work constitute the necessary precedent to initiate larger-scale in vitro micropropagation trials of “Huarango” for conservation purposes.