Strawberry cultivation requires strategies that maintain or improve its yield within a scheme in which reducing fertilizers and other chemical products can make its consumption safer and more environmentally friendly. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Bacillus subtilis and Rhizophagus intraradices on strawberry growth, yield, and fruit quality. B. subtilis and R. intraradices were inoculated and co-inoculated under three fertilization levels of 225-100-250, 112-50-125, and 0-0-0 kg∙ha⁻¹ of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O. Vegetative growth was evaluated in plant height (cm), leaf area (cm²), aerial fresh weight (g), aerial dry weight (g), and plant coverage (%) variables. Fruit quality parameters such as total acidity (g∙100 mL⁻¹), soluble solids (Brix°), and firmness (kg) were also determined, as well as the number of fruits per m² and yield (t∙ha⁻¹). The results showed that the pre-treatment of root immersion in a nutrient solution with B. subtilis and the fractionation of 6 L B. subtilis inoculation per plant at a concentration of 10⁷ CFU∙mL⁻¹, in combination with 225-100-250 kg∙ha⁻¹ of N, P₂O_5, and K₂O, achieved the highest accumulation of dry matter (12.9 ± 1.9 g∙plant⁻¹), the highest number of fruits (28.2 ± 4.5 fruits∙m⁻²), and the highest yield (7.2 ± 1.4 t∙ha⁻¹). In addition, this treatment increased the soluble sugar content by 34.78% and fruit firmness by 26.54% compared to the control without inoculation. This study highlights the synergistic effect of mineral nutrition and microbial inoculation with B. subtilis in increasing strawberry yield and fruit quality.

Las leguminosas son un amplio grupo de plantas de gran importancia en todo el mundo, que tienen la capacidad capaces de entrar en simbiosis con rizobios que fijan el nitrógeno atmosférico y lo convierten en formas orgánicas disponibles para su uso. La efec tividad simbiótica de dos cepas de Rhizobium sp. (LMT10 y LMT15), una cepa nativa y una fertilización nitrogenada de 100 kg N ha^-1 fue evaluada en cuatro variedades de frijol (Canario Centenario, Canario CIFAC, Blanco Molinero y Rojo Molinero). Las variedades con el rendimiento más alto fueron Blanco Molinero con 2.636 kg ha^-1 y Canario Centenario con 2.523 kg ha^-1. Se encontró una interacción significativa entre fuente de nitrógeno y variedad para número de vainas por planta (p < 0,05) e índice de cosecha (p < 0,01), donde el mejor tratamiento fue Canario Centenario con fertilización nitrogenada (3.062 kg ha^-1), 21,4 vainas por planta y 65% de índice de cosecha. Aunque no hubo diferencias significativas entre las fuentes de nitrógeno, las cepas inocu ladas mostraron una alta efectividad simbiótica y una especificidad de las cepas aisladas de Blanco Molinero, lo que se reflejó en los parámetros morfofisiológicos y de rendimiento. Los tratamientos inoculados alcanzaron el 90% de los rendimientos obtenidos con los fertilizantes nitrogenados, demostrando su uso potencial en la agricultura sostenible al disminuir la polución derivada del empleo de fertilizantes sintéticos en el ecosistema, además de ser una alternativa de bajo costo para los agricultores en el mundo.

The effect of a recent plant growth regulator, triacontanol (TRIA), on plant growth and yield of Pisum sativum L. was investigated. The experiment was carried out under field conditions at the Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), La Molina, Lima, Peru, using a completely randomized block design with eight treatments and three replicates. Treatments consisted in the foliar application of TRIA alone and in all possible combinations with three plant growth regulators based on auxins (AUX), gibberellins (GA), and cytokinins (CK), on pea plants cv. Rondo. The highest green pod yields were obtained with the application of TRIA+AUX+GA+CK, and TRIA+AUX+CK. The TRIA+AUX increased the values of the yield variables while TRIA+GA increased the values of the morphological variables. TRIA+CK showed a stimulating effect on morphological variables and number of grains per pod, while TRIA+AUX+CK acted synergistically on yield variables since their combined effect overweighed the effect of each growth regulator separately. Treatments with TRIA exceeded the control treatment in yield variables, indicating its great potential to be used in sustainable agriculture to guarantee food security in the future.

Strawberry cultivation holds significant economic and social promise within Peruvian fruit production. However, conventional management practices have led to the excessive use of agrochemicals in this crop. This study proposes an organic approach to strawberry production, integrating less environmentally harmful technologies. The aim was to assess microbial inoculation by using Trichoderma sp. and Pseudomonas putida and the application of organic amendments on strawberry seedlings of the commercial cultivar “San Andreas”. A field experiment was established with evaluations in the vegetative and productive stages. Results indicate that the co-inoculation of Trichoderma sp. and Pseudomonas putida increased leaf area by 7%, and enhanced the aerial part’s fresh and dry biomass by 13% and 28%, respectively, compared to treatment without microbial inoculation. Concurrently, compost application increased the leaf number and aerial dry biomass by 22% and 19% at the end of the vegetative stage, respectively, compared to treatment without organic amendment. In addition, it reduced the days for flowering, maintaining the fruit’s physicochemical attributes. Regarding yield, the amendments application significantly enhanced fruit weight per plant by 40%, especially when applied together with Trichoderma sp., and co-inoculation increased the number of fruits per meter square by 22%. These findings highlight the potential of technologies such as microbial inoculation and organic amendments to enhance strawberry yields and to gradually reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers.

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.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a key staple crop in the Peruvian Andes, but its productivity is threatened by fungal pathogens such as Rhizoctonia solani and Alternaria alternata. In this study, 71 native bacterial strains (39 from phyllosphere and 32 from rhizosphere) were isolated from potato plants across five agroecological zones of Peru and characterized for their plant growth-promoting (PGPR) and antagonistic traits. Actinomycetes demonstrated broader enzymatic profiles, with 2ACPP4 and 2ACPP8 showing high proteolytic (68.4%, 63.4%), lipolytic (59.5%, 60.6%), chitinolytic (32.7%, 35.5%) and amylolytic activity (76.3%, 71.5%). Strain 5ACPP5 (Streptomyces decoyicus) produced 42.8% chitinase and solubilized both dicalcium (120.6%) and tricalcium phosphate (122.3%). The highest IAA production was recorded in Bacillus strain 2BPP8 (95.4 µg/mL), while 5ACPP6 was the highest among Actinomycetes (83.4 µg/mL). Siderophore production was highest in 5ACPP5 (412.4%) and 2ACPP4 (406.8%). In vitro antagonism assays showed that 5ACPP5 inhibited R. solani and A. alternata by 86.4% and 68.9%, respectively, while Bacillus strain BPP4 reached 51.0% inhibition against A. alternata. In greenhouse trials, strain 4BPP8 significantly increased fresh tuber weight (11.91 g), while 5ACPP5 enhanced root biomass and reduced stem canker severity. Molecular identification confirmed BPP4 as Bacillus halotolerans and 5ACPP5 as Streptomyces decoyicus. These strains represent promising candidates for the development of bioinoculants for sustainable potato cultivation in Andean systems.