This article calls for reflection on the importance of water as a natural resource increasingly necessary and scarce in the environment, where rainwater harvesting will have to become an important part of our lives if we are to enjoy a sustainable future. The objective of this work was to develop a historical and bibliographical review to defne the ancestral techniques and methods of rainwater harvesting and storage that can be used and applicable in the PeruvianAndes. It was carried out based on an approach to the history of the management of rainwater resources through different civilizations, continents and epochs. It can be concluded that the return and revaluation of these ancestraltechniques and methods is urgent for the populations, which supported by conventional engineering and rainwater harvesting systems can be transformed into a real initiative that allows extending the avail...

Among solar energy technologies, differences exist in terms of costs, performance, and environmental sustainability. Flatplate solar collectors, solar towers, and parabolic dish systems offer high thermal efficiency and versatility, but they may be more costly and bulky compared to other collector models. This study focused on evaluating the efficiency of a cylindrical parabolic collector (CPC) for the production of domestic hot water in a high Andean region of Peru, using the F-Chart method. Its performance was estimated considering the energy demand for hot water in a single-family home with four occupants, in accordance with national regulations and international recommendations. Additionally, the collector area, water temperature, and incident solar radiation were determined based on meteorological data obtained using the PVsyst software. On the other hand, the F-Chart methodology wa...

The Polylepis genus, endemic to the South American Andes, faces significant threats due to environmental variations, which jeopardize its growth and survival. This situation underscores the urgent need to develop conservation strategies. The present research assesses the influence of meteorological variables, such as temperature and humidity, on the growth and adaptation of various Polylepis species in the central Peruvian Andes, aiming to optimize reforestation and sustainable management practices. The study was conducted in experimental plots at the Santa Ana Agricultural Station in Junín, Peru, where Polylepis saplings, obtained from different localities, were planted. Over two years, phenotypic variables (height and diameter) and meteorological variables (precipitation, humidity, temperature, and wind speed) were monitored to evaluate the relationship between environmental condition...

The growing global loss of genetic diversity, phenotypic characterization becomes essential for identifying resilient varieties capable of diversifying and strengthening the agricultural production of underutilized crops such as tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis S.). This study aimed to characterize the phenotypic variability of 41 tarwi accessions conserved in the germplasm bank of the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) of Peru. The accessions were evaluated over two consecutive agricultural seasons at the Santa Ana Agrarian Experimental Station under local conditions. Thirty morphological descriptors (17 qualitative and 13 quantitative) were used following IBPGR guidelines. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering and correlation analysis for quantitative descriptors, as well as frequency tables and the Shannon-Weav...

Resumen– Las tecnologías que se utilizan en la actualidad para tratar el recurso hídrico implican la generación de impactos negativos sobre el ambiente, por lo que es necesario la búsqueda de alternativas para el tratamiento del agua basada en el empleo de coagulantes naturales, sobre todo si el agua a tratar es destinada para consumo humano, por ello el objetivo de este trabajo de investigación es analizar la aplicación del almidón de Solanum tuberosum (papa) como coagulante natural en el tratamiento del agua de la Laguna Punrún. Para su desarrollo se empleó la metodología de Ttito y Chama que incluye los procesos de adquisición, lavado, corte, molienda, filtrado, secado y tamizado para la obtención del almidón de papa como coagulante natural, además de la prueba de jarras para determinar la dosis óptima del coagulante. Las muestras de agua fueron extraídas de 3 puntos...

El tarwi es una leguminosa andina con un alto valor nutricional, que destaca por su elevado contenido de proteínas y aceites (Guilengue et al., 2019). Su importancia radica en sus múltiples usos, que abarcan desde la alimentación humana y animal, hasta la mejora de suelos gracias a su capacidad para fijar nitrógeno (Parra-Gallardo et al., 2024). Debido a estas características, el tarwi se presenta como una alternativa estratégica para el fortalecimiento de la seguridad alimentaria (Tapia, 2015). En su centro de origen, en las zonas altoandinas, el tarwi ha sido una fuente primordial de proteínas para la nutrición humana durante más de 2000 años (Caligari et al., 2000), desde la época preincaica, especialmente en países como Perú, Bolivia y Ecuador (Rosell et al., 2009). A pesar de su larga historia de domesticación, su estudio y mejoramiento genético siguen siendo limitado...

Heavy metal contamination in rivers is a serious environmental and public health concern, especially in areas affected by mining. This study evaluated the levels of contamination and the associated ecological and carcinogenic risks in the sediments of the Cunas River, located in the central highlands of Peru. Sediment samples were collected from upstream and downstream sections. Several metals and metalloids were analyzed, including copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), zinc (Zn), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd). The ecological risk assessment focused on ten of these elements, while carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were assessed for seven metals selected based on their toxicological importance. The results showed that Cd and Pb concentrations were higher in the downstream section. Cd and As excee...

High-altitude Andean lagoons are ecologically sensitive systems whose water quality is under increasing pressure from the expansion of aquaculture and other human activities. An integrated assessment of water quality and trophic status was carried out in three lagoons located in the highlands of central Peru, using a multi-index and multivariate approach that combined physicochemical parameters, trophic indices (TRIX, TSI, molar N:P ratio), and heavy-metal indices, evaluated against Peruvian EQS, USEPA, and CCME water-quality standards. Principal component analysis explained 60.1% of the total variability, with the first axis (40.4%) structured by an organic loading and nutrient gradient that consistently separated Tipicocha from the other lagoons. Total phosphorus in Tipicocha reached concentrations well above the Peruvian EQS threshold, and TRIX values classified all lagoons as eutroph...

River floods are common natural phenomena that occur when the flow of water exceeds the capacity of a river due to excessive rainfall. In the Peruvian territory, the heavy rains of 2010 had consequences of great magnitude, leaving more than 5000 people affected and 25 dead in the Peruvian Andes. This research aimed to analyze and determine the level of risk due to river floods in communities of the Peruvian Andes in terms of hazard and vulnerability, using a semi-quantitative methodology and applying a multi-criteria analysis with vector information and raster from the national spatial data infrastructure that acted as triggering and conditioning factors, as well as conducting fieldwork with the application of targeted surveys. Then, the geoprocessing of thematic maps through GIS software was carried out. The research findings indicate that virtually the entire study area, approximately ...

Heavy metal contamination in Andean agricultural systems is a growing concern for food safety and environmental health. This study assessed the concentrations and bioaccumulation patterns of eleven metals (Cd, Pb, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Hg, Mo) in seven representative crops cultivated under irrigated and rainfed conditions in the Mantaro Valley, central Peruvian Andes. Soil and foliar samples were collected from paired plots, and bioaccumulation factors (BAF) were calculated to evaluate metal transfer to plant tissues. Irrigated soils showed higher and more homogeneous concentrations of Cd, Pb, and As, reflecting long-term accumulation from historical mining activities and irrigation with contaminated water from the Mantaro River. Foliar concentrations exceeded Codex Alimentarius limits for Cd, Pb, and As in several crops, especially potato and broad bean. BAF analyses revealed dist...

The biomass that accumulates on the forest floor and its subsequent decomposition play an important role in maintaining the productivity of different terrestrial ecosystems by constituting the main nutrient flow to the soil. The objective of the study focused on analyzing the nutrient contribution to the soil derived from the aboveground biomass of three native forest species in relict forests of the Central Peruvian Sierra with socioeconomic and environmental relevance. Using random delineation methods, soil samples were collected at 20-30 cm depth, which were subjected to physical, chemical, and biological analyses, developing the determination of a Soil Quality Index (SQI). The results highlight that forests of Polylepis racemosa and Alnus acuminata significantly exhibit a higher SQI, with values of 0.66 and 0.58, respectively, compared to Escallonia resinosa, with the forestless syst...

Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis S.) is a legume native to the Andes, recognized for its high nutritional value, which gives it great potential in food security programs. Therefore, understanding and advancing the conservation of its morphological diversity is essential. In this study, 140 accessions from the national germplasm collection of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation of Peru were evaluated, along with two cultivars ("INIA 445 Masacanchino" and "Andenes 90"). A traditional agro-morphological characterization was conducted using 16 quantitative and 40 qualitative descriptors, complemented by phenological data obtained from time series of reflectance indices generated by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, a principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to select the most relevant variables, and a clustering analysis along with a dendrogram was developed to classify ...

El tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) es una leguminosa endémica de la región andina de América del Sur (Gulisano et al., 2023). En los últimos años, se ha posicionado como un superalimento debido a su alto contenido de proteínas y ácidos grasos y es un alimento que contiene cantidades significativas de Fe, Zn y B en sus semillas (Vera-Vega et al., 2022). Numerosos estudios han investigado el perfil nutricional y las aplicaciones potenciales de sus semillas en un amplio rango de productos de uso final, desde proteínas, aceites y aditivos alimenticios hasta cosméticos, medicinas y biopesticidas (Gulisano et al., 2023). Su potencial agroindustrial, sumado a su valor nutricional, determinan que el cultivo del tarwi sea de interés, tanto en el ámbito nacional, como en el internacional. La producción nacional de tarwi en 2020 fue de 15 809 t, con una superficie cosechada de 11 307 ha...

This study evaluated the use of visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy combined with machine learning (ML) algorithms to predict soil fertility-related properties in two contrasting agroecological regions of Peru: the Highlands and the Rainforest. A total of 297 soil samples were analyzed using portable spectroradiometers covering a spectral range of 350–2500 nm, applying transformations such as Savitzky–Golay smoothing, first derivative, and band depth. Predictive models were developed using PLSR, Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, and neural networks. Results show variable predictive performance across soil properties and ecosystems. Organic matter in Highland soils and calcium in Rainforest soils achieved the strongest test-set accuracy (R2 > 0.70), while pH and texture fractions showed moderate performance (R2 = 0.42–0.67), and mobile nutrients including phosphor...

Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis S.) is a legume native to the Andes, recognized for its high nutritional value, which gives it great potential in food security programs. Therefore, understanding and advancing the conservation of its morphological diversity is essential. In this study, 140 accessions from the national germplasm collection of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation of Peru were evaluated, along with two cultivars ("INIA 445 Masacanchino" and "Andenes 90"). A traditional agro-morphological characterization was conducted using 16 quantitative and 40 qualitative descriptors, complemented by phenological data obtained from time series of reflectance indices generated by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, a principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to select the most relevant variables, and a clustering analysis along with a dendrogram was developed to classify ...

Accurate and timely estimation of oat biomass is crucial for the development of sustainable and efficient agricultural practices. This research focused on estimating and predicting forage oat biomass using UAV and agronomic variables. A Matrice 300 equipped with a multispectral camera was used for 14 flights, capturing 21 spectral indices per flight. Concurrently, agronomic data were collected at six stages synchronized with UAV flights. Data analysis involved correlations and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify significant variables. Predictive models for forage biomass were developed using various machine learning techniques: linear regression, Random Forests (RFs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), and Neural Networks (NNs). The Random Forest model showed the best performance, with a coefficient of determination R2 of 0.52 on the test set, followed by Support Vector Machines ...

Remote sensing is essential in precision agriculture as this approach provides high-resolution information on the soil's physical and chemical parameters for detailed decision making. Globally, technologies such as remote sensing and machine learning are increasingly being used to infer these parameters. This study evaluates soil fertility changes and compares them with previous fertilization inputs using high-resolution multispectral imagery and in situ measurements. A UAV-captured image was used to predict the spatial distribution of soil parameters, generating fourteen spectral indices and a digital surface model (DSM) from 103 soil plots across 49.83 hectares. Machine learning algorithms, including classification and regression trees (CART) and random forest (RF), modeled the soil parameters (N-ppm, P-ppm, K-ppm, OM%, and EC-mS/m). The RF model outperformed others, with R² values of...

The lack of precise methods for estimating forest biomass results in both economic losses and incorrect decisions in the management of forest plantations. In response to this issue, this study evaluated the effectiveness of using the DJI Zenmuse L1 LiDAR, mounted on a DJI Matrice 300 RTK UAV, to provide three-dimensional measurements of canopy structure and estimate the aboveground biomass of Eucalyptus globulus. Various LiDAR metrics were employed alongside field measurements to calibrate predictive models using multiple regression and machine learning algorithms. The results at the individual tree level show that RF is the most accurate model, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.76 in the training set and 0.66 in the test set, outperforming Elastic Net (R² of 0.58 and 0.57, respectively). At the plot level, a multiple regression model achieved an R² of 0.647, highlighting ...

Precision agriculture aims to improve crop management using advanced analytical tools.In this context, the objective of this study is to develop an innovative predictive model to estimate the yield and morphological quality, such as the circularity and length–width ratio of potato tubers, based on phenotypic characteristics of plants and data captured through spectral cameras equipped on UAVs. For this purpose, the experiment was carried out at the Santa Ana Experimental Station in the central Peruvian Andes, where advanced potato clones were planted in December 2023 under three levels of fertilization. Random Forest, XGBoost, and Support Vector Machine models were used to predict yield and quality parameters, such as circularity and the length–width ratio. The results showed that Random Forest and XGBoost achieved high accuracy in yield prediction (R2 > 0.74). In contrast, the predi...