El documento revisa los resultados del proyecto Rescate y promoción de los ajíes nativos en su centro de origen, en el cual se desarrolló un enfoque modelo combinando actividades de investigación y desarrollo para demostrar cómo se pueden mejorar los ingresos de los agricultores de ajíes nativos aprovechando la diversidad que actualmente está siendo subutilizada, y la transición hacia una producción y comercialización diferenciada de alto valor.

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The aims of the proposed research were to identify and document species, production and uses, describe processing procedures for drying, evaluate drying conditions and practices and apply Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles to identify the critical control points involved in drying processes. The study focused on cultivated species of capsicum in the areas around Chuquisaca, Bolivia and Lima, Peru under the guidance of local partners. Farmer interviews were conducted to obtain information about current postharvest handling practices. In addition, drying procedures were evaluated at several sites. Parameters were documented, including drying conditions and behaviour of the product by placing climate sensors in the drying bulks and sampling and analysing the product at significant processing points. Based on this data, HACCP principles were applied, namely: produc...

Underutilized crops tend to harbor high levels of genetic diversity, be maintained on-farm in small-scale farming systems and be relatively neglected by formal research and development strategies, including breeding programs. While high genetic variability allows these crops to adapt to marginal environments, inappropriate management practices and reductions in population sizes in individual farmers’ plots may lead to productivity loss and poor harvests. This situation further limits their cultivation and use, notwithstanding the potential these crops may hold for diversification of agricultural systems, food security and market development. Peru hosts a wealth of native agrobiodiversity, which includes many underutilized crops. To improve their performance and promote their continued conservation and use, a participatory breeding program was developed on five underutilized crops of th...

For most crops, like Capsicum, their diversity remains under-researched for traits of interest for food, nutrition and other purposes. A small investment in screening this diversity for a wide range of traits is likely to reveal many traditional varieties with distinguished values. One objective of this study was to demonstrate, with Capsicum as model crop, the application of indicators of phenotypic and geographic diversity as effective criteria for selecting promising genebank accessions for multiple uses from crop centers of diversity. A second objective was to evaluate the expression of biochemical and agromorphological properties of the selected Capsicum accessions in different conditions. Four steps were involved: 1) Develop the necessary diversity by expanding genebank collections in Bolivia and Peru; 2) Establish representative subsets of ~100 accessions for biochemical screening...