The domestic South American camelid Vicugna pacos L. is distributed along Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. Here, we contribute to the bioinformatics and evolutionary systematics of the Camelidae by performing high-throughput sequencing analysis on the black Huacaya breed of V. pacos from Puno, Peru. The black Huacaya breed mitogenome is 16,664 base pairs (bp) in length and contains 37 genes (GenBank accession MT044302). The mitogenome shares a high-level of gene synteny to other Camelidae (Camelops, Camelus, Lama, and Vicugna). The mitogenome of the black Huacaya breed of V. pacos situates it in a clade with V. vicugna Molina, sister to Lama. We anticipate that further mitogenome sequencing of different breeds from Vicugna pacos will improve our understanding of the evolutionary history of this taxon.

Dry forests are ecosystems of great importance worldwide, but in recent decades they have been affected by climate change and changes in land use. In this study, we evaluated land use and land cover changes (LULC) in dry forests in Peru between 2017 and 2021 using Sentinel-2 images, and cloud processing with Machine Learning (ML) models. The results reported a mapping with accuracies above 85% with an increase in bare soil, urban areas and open dry forest, and reduction in the area of crops and dense dry forest. Protected natural areas lost 2.47% of their conserved surface area and the areas with the greatest degree of land use impact are located in the center and north of the study area. The study provides information that can help in the management of dry forests in northern Peru.

El Altiplano peruano presenta pérdidas crecientes de fertilidad, siendo a su vez susceptible a una erosión natural. Durante muchos años, un manejo agrícola convencional ha generado pérdidas de la capa superficial del suelo y deterioro de sus propiedades, teniendo gran impacto en el rendimiento de los cultivos y profundizando la degradación de este ecosistema vulnerable. El propósito de esta investigación fue evaluar el uso de cultivos de cobertura frente a la erosión, salud del suelo y rendimiento del cultivo de quinua. El ensayo se realizó en las localidades Huancarani y Cahualla, distrito Mañazo, provincia y región Puno. Se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar (DBCA) con cuatro tratamientos: sin cobertura y con coberturas de trébol (Medicago hispida G.), vicia (Vicia villosa) y mulch. Los resultados mostraron que la quinua asociada con coberturas de trébol, mulch y vicia redujeron la erosión del suelo en 59,61%, 51,87% y 49,50%, respectivamente. Asimismo, el uso de coberturas de trébol y vicia aumentó el carbono orgánico (+29,71% y 31,16%) y nitrógeno (+36,94% y 48,65%), y con el trébol, el fósforo disponible (+26,11%). Finalmente, la cobertura de trébol aumentó en 17% el rendimiento de la quinua en grano y redujo significativamente la erosión del suelo. Estos resultados muestran que los cultivos de cobertura presentan gran potencial para el restablecimiento de la salud del suelo y mejora en el rendimiento.

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Erwinia sp. strain INIA01, a bacterium isolated from lesions of Zea mays from northern Peru. This genome possesses two circular replicons, a 4.2-Mb chromosome, and a 438-kb plasmid.

Cinchona officinalis, commonly called cascarilla or quina, has medicinal value; and is on Peru’s national coat of arms representing its plant wealth (flora), however, it is threatened by anthropogenic activities. This study aimed to determine the effect of the commercial product Myco Grow® on the growth of C. officinalis in nursery. A randomized design was used with two treatments, one with Myco Grow® application (WM) and the other without incorporating this commercial product (NM). Each treatment had three replicates consisting of 30 plants each. Monthly evaluations were performed, during which the number of dead plants, plant height, and plant diameter were recorded. Additionally, at the end of the study, the anhydrous weight of leaves, stems, and roots; leaf area; mycorrhizal frequency; mycorrhizal colonization index; and the length of extra-radicular mycelia were determined. The WM treatment achieved 36.6% lower mortality, 38.01% greater height, and 48.52% greater diameter than the NM treatment. Additionally, inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) improved the anhydrous weights of the leaves, stems, roots, and leaf area by 84.31%, 84.28%, 70.85%, and 76.91%, respectively. Regarding the three fungal variables analyzed for the WM treatment; mycorrhizal frequency was 87%, AM application led to a mycorrhizal intensity of 7.7% and an extra-radicular mycelium length of 90.3 cm. This study confirmed that AM positively influences the growth of C. officinalis in the nursery and can be used to sustainably produce this species on a large scale.

The concept of ecosystem services has gained popularity among academics, researchers and policymakers to support environmental management and biodiversity conservation, so that many development projects in rural areas have merited investment for restoration and improvement of grassland ecosystems accompanied by training programs for the beneficiaries, With this criterion in mind, the study investigated the perception of puna pastoralists in Acopalca, Peru, regarding the degree of knowledge about the significance of the ecosystem services provided by soil-water-grasslands, with the objective of characterizing the environmental, social and economic dimensions of this local perception, through the application of a survey to the representative of the livestock family affiliated to two producers' associations. It was evidenced that cattle-raising families have a limited understanding of the role of the natural resources they directly access and little clarity on the relationship between natural pastures, family income and access to basic services. The results revealed limitations in environmental perception, evidencing a lack of knowledge about the multifaceted contribution of pastures. Social perception showed neutrality in the relationship between pastures and family income, and a discrepancy in access to basic services. The comparison between associations highlighted significant differences, indicating the need for training strategies adapted to the local idiosyncrasies of the beneficiaries. In conclusion, addressing the deficiencies identified in community understanding was essential to strengthening sustainable natural resource management in Acopalca. It highlights the importance of designing specific training programs, considering the particularities of each group, to promote self-management and community participation and thus achieve more comprehensive and sustainable local development.

El estudio se llevó a cabo en la en la sierra central del Perú a 3 900 m.s.n.m, en el centro experimental de Casaracra de la Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, donde el objetivo fue la de determinar y analizar el rendimiento forrajero y la calidad nutricional de los pastos asociadas en distintas densidades de siembra. En la producción forrajera se determinó los valores de materia verde y materia seca y el porcentaje de materia seca; en la calidad nutricional se analizó las variables nutricionales %PT, %FDN, %FDA, %Ca y %P. se utilizó un diseño completamente al azar. Los resultados para rendimiento forrajero para el tratamiento 1 en MV fue 3.54 kg/m2 y MS 0.68 kg/m2, en el tratamiento 2 en MV fue 2.61 kg/m2 y MS 0.72 kg/m2, para el tratamiento 3 en MV fue 3.07 kg/m2 y MS 0.98 kg/m2 y finalmente en el tratamiento 4 la MV fue 2.48 kg/m2 y MS 0.93 kg/m2. La calidad nutricional para los tratamientos1, 2, 3 y 4 en %PT (15.56, 15.21, 6.81 y 5.37), %FDN (48.85, 43.82, 43.34 y 41.89), %FDA (28.82, 26.31, 27.27 y 24.43), %Ca (0.86, 0.80, 0.33 y 0.17), %P (0.25, 0.24, 0.18 y 0.07) respectivamente. Donde se concluye que el tratamiento 4 mostro contenidos aceptables de fibras en la alimentación de ovinos.

The Peruvian creole cattle (PCC) is a neglected breed, and is an essential livestock resource in the Andean region of Peru. To develop a modern breeding program and conservation strategies for the PCC, a better understanding of the genetics of this breed is needed. We sequenced the whole genome of the PCC using a paired-end 150 strategy on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform, obtaining 320 GB of sequencing data. The obtained genome size of the PCC was 2.77 Gb with a contig N50 of 108Mb and 92.59% complete BUSCOs. Also, we identified 40.22% of repetitive DNA of the genome assembly, of which retroelements occupy 32.39% of the total genome. A total of 19,803 protein-coding genes were annotated in the PCC genome. We downloaded proteomes and genomes of the Bovinae subfamily, and conducted a comparative analysis with our draft genome. Phylogenomic analysis showed that PCC is related to Bos indicus. Also, we identified 7,746 family genes shared among the Bovinae subfamily. This first PCC genome is expected to contribute to a better understanding of its genetics to adapt to the tough conditions of the Andean ecosystem, and evolution.

Cinchona officinalis, a native plant species known in Peru as the cinchona tree, has civic importance because it represents the plant wealth of this nation and medicinal importance since it was for more than 300 years the only cure for malaria, and is currently threatened. The aim was to determine the effect of light conditions on the percentage of mortality, height increase, and diameter increase of Cinchona officinalis. In the community of La Cascarilla (5°39’48.87 “S 78°54’35.24 “W), two treatments were installed, forest massif (FM) and enrichment bands (EB). For each treatment, three replicates and 16 plants per replicate were used. Monthly evaluations were carried out in which the number of dead plants, plant height, and diameter were recorded. These parameters were correlated with precipitation, temperature, and photoperiod records of the study area. The results showed that mortality in FM was 27.1% higher than that reported in EB, while the increase in height and diameter increment in the FM plot was 45.5 and 25.1% higher than that obtained in EB. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between the percentage of mortality and precipitation (rs=- 0.54), and between the increase in height and diameter increment with the maximum temperature (rs=-0.73 and rs=-0.60, respectively) for the FM treatment, while for the EB treatment, there was a negative correlation between the increase in height and precipitation (rs=-0.55) and a positive correlation between the diameter increment and the minimum temperature (rs=0.53). In general, shaded conditions allow a higher survival rate at the cost of reducing height and diameter increment.

The Peruvian Amazon faces an increasing threat of soil erosion, driven by unsustainable agricultural practices and accelerated deforestation. In Neshuya (Ucayali region), agricultural activity has intensified since 2014, but the effect on soil erosion is unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the increase in erosion levels, at a subbasin of the central–eastern Amazon of Peru, in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model was used for assessing the effect of vegetation cover change from 2016 to 2022. In the Neshuya sub-basin (973.4 km2 ), the average erosion increased from 3.87 to 4.55 t ha−1 year−1 , on average. In addition, there is great spatial variability in the values. In addition, 7.65% of the study area (74.52 km2 ) exceeds the soil loss tolerance limit (15 t ha−1 year−1 ). The deforestation rate was 17.99 km2 year−1 and by 2022 the forested area reached 237.65 km2 . In conclusion, the transition from forest to farmland was related to the most critical erosion values. Unsustainable soil management practices can be the underlying explanation of changes in soil chemical and physical properties. Also, social dynamic changes and differences in landscape patterns play a role.

Coffee (Coffea arabica) is the main commodity in Peru and is the economic support for thousands of small farmers. However, coffee production is affected by the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei). Currently, H. hampei is the most important pest in whole coffee-growing regions in Peru. This study aimed to evaluate in vitro biological activity of Beauveria bassiana, Beauveria peruviensis, and Metarhizium sp. against Hypothenemus hampei in two trials at different times. Conidia production, Conidia viability, and pathogenicity against H. hampei were evaluated at three concentrations (1 × 105, 1 × 107, and 1 × 109 conidia/mL−1). In addition, lethal times (LT50 and LT90) and lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) were calculated. There were significant differences in conidia production ( < 0.001) and conidia viability ( < 0.041). The highest conidia production and conidia viability were reached by B. bassiana and B. peruviensis, respectively. Likewise, there were differences in the pathogenicity of the strains in the two tests carried out (test 1:  < 0.0009 and test 2:  < 0.0001). The highest mortality occurred in the treatments of B. bassiana 1 × 109 conidia/mL−1, B. bassiana 1 × 107 conidia/mL−1, and B. peruviensis 1 × 109 conidia/mL−1. The treatments with lower LT50 and LT90 were B. bassiana 1 × 109 conidia/mL−1 and B. peruviensis 1 × 109 conidia/mL−1, and the strains with the lowest LC50 and LC90 were B. peruviensis and B. bassiana. The in vitro characteristics shown by B. bassiana and B. peruviensis conditions suggest they should be evaluated in the field to determine the capability of these strains to reduce populations of H. hampei.

Purple maize has gained global significance due to its numerous nutraceutical benefits. However, sustaining its production typically requires high doses of nitrogen fertilizers, which, when applied in excess, can contaminate vital resources such as soil and water. Inoculation with nitrogenfixing microorganisms, such as those from the Azospirillum genus, has emerged as an alternative to partially or fully replace nitrogen fertilizers. This study aimed to evaluate the inoculation effect with A. brasilense and varying nitrogen fertilization levels on the yield and quality of purple maize. The experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement and five replications. Treatments comprised two inoculation levels (control without inoculation and inoculation with A. brasilense) under five nitrogen doses (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg・ha−1, applied as urea). Inoculation with A. brasilense resulted in a 10.5% increase in plant height, a 16.7% increase in root length, a 21.3% increase in aboveground fresh biomass, a 30.1% increase in root fresh biomass, and a 27.7% increase in leaf nitrogen concentration compared to the no inoculated control. Regarding yield, the inoculated plants surpassed the control in both purple maize yield (kg・ha−1) and cob weight by 21.8% and 11.6%, respectively. Across all fertilization levels and parameters assessed, the inoculated treatments outperformed the control. Furthermore, for parameters, namely plant height, leaf nitrogen content, and cob dimensions (length, diameter, and weight), the A. brasilense inoculation treatment with 90 kg N・ha−1 was statistically equivalent or superior to the non-inoculated control with 120 kg N・ha−1. These results indicate that inoculation with A. brasilense positively impacted purple maize at all nitrogen levels tested and improved nitrogen use efficiency, enabling a reduction of 30 kg N・ha-1 without compromising performance in key parameters.

Soil is a vital nonrenewable resource characterized by rapid degradation and slow regeneration processes. In this study, soil degradation in Jaén and San Ignacio was assessed via a multicriteria evaluation approach combined with remote sensing (RS) data. Nine factors were analyzed classified three categories: environmental, topographic, and edaphological factors. The results revealed that the slope (59.07%) was the main influencing factor, followed by land use and land cover (LULC) (56.36%). The degradation map revealed that 83.48% of the area exhibited moderate degradation, 14.49% low degradation, and 1.56% high degradation. The districts of Pomahuaca and San José de Lourdes demonstrated the largest areas of moderate degradation, accounting for 13.71% and 22.54%, respectively. Bellavista and Huarango exhibited the largest areas of very high degradation, accounting for 0.27% and 0.08%, respectively. The (AHP) method and RS data were employed to assess soil degradation, highlighting the need for sustainable soil restoration and conservation strategies.

La baja productividad animal (carne, lana y leche) durante la época seca los productores buscan alternativas para mejorar esta deficiencia con la instalación de pastos permanentes y anuales, los cuales dispone de mejores rendimientos de forraje y calidad nutritiva. El objetivo del estudio fue de determinar el rendimiento forrajero y valor nutritivo de dos variedades de Avena sativa (Criolla y Mantaro-15) en la sierra central del Perú. El estudio se condujo en las regiones de Pasco y Junín, cuyo objetivo fue determinar el rendimiento forrajero y valor nutritivo de dos variedades de avena sativa en la sierra central del Perú. Para ello, se estudiaron los rendimientos forrajeros (MV, MS y %MS) y se analizaron el valor nutritivo (%PT, %FDN, %FDA, %DIVMO, %Ca, %P y EM) de las avenas. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó el diseño de bloques completamente al azar. Los resultados de rendimiento forrajero para la avena Criolla en MV (14 456.0 kg ha-1), MS (2 423.4 kg ha-1) y %MS (16.8), en la avena Mantaro-15 en MV (21 067.0 kg ha-1) y MS (3 215.0 kg ha-1) y %MS (15.5). El valor nutritivo para la avena Criolla y Mantaro-15 en %PT (7.10 y 6.80), %FDN (42.90 y 34.80), %FDA (19.90 y 16.10), %DIVMO (87.80 y 78.90), %Ca (0.21 y 0.20), %P (0.24 y 0.21) y EM (14.00 y 12.60) respectivamente. Se concluye que la avena Mantaro-15 tiene mejores rendimientos forrajeros y una mejor calidad de fibra y en ambos casos cubren los requerimientos de los ovinos mostrando un balance positivo.

Tradicionalmente, para corregir la acidez del suelo se usa cal o dolomita agrícola, estos encalantes pueden tener como efecto secundario la disminución de materia orgánica del suelo (MOS), stock de carbono y emisión de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI). El biochar alcalino es una alternativa por su estabilidad y capacidad de obtener un balance positivo de carbono, mejorar los suelos agrícolas y generar menores emisiones de GEI. La emisión de CO2 y las propiedades físicas y químicas de un suelo ácido al ser enmendado con biochar, cal, dolomita agrícola versus un testigo (sin enmienda) se evaluaron en invernadero. Sin cultivo, la cal agrícola y biochar tuvieron una rápida reacción elevando el pH cerca de 7; el biochar aumentó el contenido de materia orgánica (+23%), nitrógeno (+20%), fósforo disponible (+116%), CIC (+46%) y cationes intercambiables. La emisión de CO2 temporal dentro de las 24 horas, aumentó con el biochar (+131%) y dolomita (+41%), aunque después disminuyó significativamente. Con el cultivo de maíz, el biochar mantuvo el valor deseado de pH, fueron mayores el fósforo (+109%) y potasio disponible (+224%), CIC (+6%) y cationes intercambiables; la emisión temporal dentro de las 24 horas fue mayor para el biochar (+314%), cal (+115%) y dolomita (+112%); y para el CO2 acumulado, el biochar presentó el mayor valor (+53%). Al día 56, las emisiones de CO2 no fueron significativamente diferentes al testigo para las tres enmiendas, y menores a partir del día 75, lo cual significaría una reducción en las emisiones a largo plazo.