Resilient native potatoes: Safeguarding food security

The initiative preserves the genetic diversity of native potatoes in Bolivia and Peru, strengthening food security against climate variability.

Context of the story

In the Bolivian Altiplano and Andean region of Peru, agriculture is facing extreme climatic events such as droughts, frosts and hailstorms, which put communities’ food security at risk. The diversity of native potatoes, which has historically sustained the diet of indigenous populations, is in danger due to climate change and the displacement of native varieties. This project seeks to reverse this situation through the recovery, characterization and improvement of native potato varieties resistant to adverse conditions.

Protecting native potato diversity

The Implemented Initiative

We will focus on the recovery and strengthening of native potato crops in Bolivia and Peru, where these varieties play a fundamental role in food security and cultural identity. In collaboration with the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) in Bolivia and the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) in Peru, the project combines ancestral knowledge with modern technology, such as marker-assisted genetic improvement and crop monitoring with drones. Through training farmers in sustainable practices and promoting the native potato market, the project seeks to promote climate resilience and socio-environmental and economic sustainability, safeguarding a key genetic resource.

Innovation in crop improvement and sustainable practices

The technological solution

Through molecular marker-assisted genetic improvement, the project identifies and develops potato cultivars with high tolerance to drought and thermal stress conditions. The varieties are evaluated in experimental plots comparing zero tillage systems with conventional tillage, integrating the use of ancestral agricultural terraces and synchronization with lunar phases. Additionally, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with RGB and multispectral cameras are used to monitor the phenological vigor of the crops. Through farmer field schools, local producers validate the use of these methodologies, fostering the efficient management of water and soil resources.

"Rescuing native potatoes is preserving our history and ensuring a resilient future for our communities."

— Researcher Team Bolivia

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Type of project

Agronomic Practices

Applied

Technological

Results

By combining ancestral knowledge with scientific knowledge, we hope to achieve better production of native potatoes, benefiting producers and promoting the revalorization of a genetic resource of great importance for the future of our countries. The project achieved the official registration and distribution of two new cold-tolerant varieties ("Miren" and "Violeta"). By the end of execution, it expects to generate a catalog detailing the agronomic, genomic, and organoleptic attributes of selected native ecotypes and to sequence whole genomes to identify resistance markers. Additionally, hydrological inventories and phytosanitary diagnostic databases will be created. Through a regional agricultural innovation network, the institutions will transfer these capabilities to environmental technicians and local producers, fostering the transition toward sustainable agroecological production systems.

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