Peru, World Center of Potato

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Peru, World Center of Potato Diversity and
Other Native Food Crops
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Map of South America
Several thousand years ago, before the emergence
of defined Pre-Columbian cultures, different
groups of nomadic people survived in the current
deserts, mountains and forest of Peru, hunting
and searching for edible plants.
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Map of Peru
Some of these plants were later selected and
domesticated to support the development of
sedentary and agricultural societies in
Pre-Hispanic coastal Peru, such as the Moche in
the north, Chancay in the center, and Paracas and
Nasca in the south. In the mountains of Peru,
sophisticated agricultural societies, such as
Cajamarca and Chavin in the north, Inca and
Tiahuanaco in the south, and other cultures, also
developed new crops and agricultural practices.
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Mochica Pottery Representing Potatoes (2000
years ago)
Archaeological research in Peru has demonstrated
the existence of cultivated plants in pre-ceramic
sites dated 8,000 years b.C., including potato,
olluco, sweet potato, jiquima, cassava, oca, lima
bean, common bean, and chillies. Other species,
such as maize, cotton, and coca, have been found
in sites dated 4,000 b.C.
The Pre-Columbian ceramics of Peru, including
Moche and Nasca ceramics produced around 2,000
years ago, often portray the main plant species
that supported those early societies. An example
are these ceramic objects in the shape of potato
tubers.
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Peru, a country blessed with its extraordinary
variety of ecosystems and biodiversity, is also
an important world center of origin and plant
domestication, as demonstrated by Vavilov about a
century ago. These plant species include over
170 domesticated native species and 4,000 plant
species currently utilized in the world. Perus
flora is estimated in 25,000 species, and its
fauna also contains numerous species of fish,
birds, mammals, invertebrates and reptiles.
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Peru has nine species of cultivated potatoes. In
Peru are concentrated the total number of the
cultivated potato species recognized up to the
present. That is to say, nine species with
hundreds of cultivars. Also, nearly 100 wild
potato species are concentrated in Peru
representing almost the 50 of the genetic
resources of these species in the American
Continent.
S. ? ahanhuiri
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The cultivated species are   Solanum ?
ahanhuiri (2n24) and S. ? juzecpzukii (2n36),
with few morphotypes. These species are consumed
in the form of dehydrated tubers known as Chuño.
S. ? juzepczukii
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Solanum ? curtilobum (2n60), also consumed as
Chuño, only has two ecotypes.
S. ? curtilobum
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Solanum ? chaucha (2n-36), is the Peruvian potato
with the highest culinary qualities. Consumed as
boiled, soup and mashed potatoes. Represented
here by the landrace Wayro that is cultivated in
all Andean region between 3500 and 4000 m.
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Solanum phureja (2n24), a precocious plant, a
characteristic that has given this species the
common name of Three-month-potato, it is
cultivated in mesothermic valleys of southern and
northern Peru (2000-3000 m).
S. phureja
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Solanum goniocalyx (2n24), with excellent
cooking qualities, is cultivated mainly in the
highlands of central Peru (4,000 m).
S. goniocalyx
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Solanum stenotomum (2n24), has great diversity
morphotypes cultivated in the highlands
(2500-3500 m). It has excellent cooking
qualities, which are exploited by breeders in
crosses with S. tuberosum at diploid level.
S. stenotomum
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Solanum tuberosum (ssp. andigena), a tetraploid
that includes numerous multi-purpose ecotypes
with high yielding capacity.
S. tuberosum ssp.andigena
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Solanum hygrothermicum (2n48), is a tropical
potato cultivated in some regions of the upper
Amazon, between 600 and 900 meters above sea
level. This species is well adapted to warm and
humid climates, but it is currently suffering
from considerable genetic erosion.
S. hygrothermicum
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The diversity of wild potato species in Peru is
also extraordinary, and many of these species are
extremely valuable for their genetic potential
that is used as sources for resistance to fungal,
bacterial, viral diseases nematodes and other
pests of potato. For example   Solanum
albicans (2n72), is resistant to frost damage,
to globodera pallida and viruses such as X and Y.
S. albicans
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Solanum anamatophilum (2n24), is highly tolerant
to drought due to its adaptation to deserts and
other dry habitats.
S. anamatophilum
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Solanum chiquidenum (2n24), has major genes for
resistance to Phytophthora infestans. The numeric
value of its endosperm is 1.
S. chiquidenum
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Solanum contumazaense (2n24), is a rare and
scarce species regarding its geographic
distribution. Its notable pubescence may be a
valuable trait to capture aphids vectors of
potato viruses.
S. contumazaense
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There are numerous root and tuber crops in the
Peruvian Andes, for instance   Olluco (Ullucus
tuberosus), is the second most important tuber
crop after potato, it has a high protein, calcium
and beta-carotene content. A spoonful of olluco
leaf extract can provide an enfant with
substantial amount of the daily requirements for
these nutrients.
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Oca (Oxalis tuberosa), has a high yield capacity
(30-50 tons per hectare). It is cultivated in the
upper agricultural zones of the highlands (3500-
4000 m). The oca tubers can be eaten fresh,
boiled or dehydrated as Chuñoor Cawi. The
use of these species as food crops goes back to
8,000 years b.C.
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Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum), is the least
important and genetically diverse of these
species.
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Jiquima or Ajipa (Pachyrhizus tuberosus), is a
plant that possesses a large root that can be
eaten fresh, and that has been cultivated since
pre-Columbian times along the Peruvian coast.
Archaeological remains of this plant have been
found in graves belonging to the ancient Nasca,
and Paracas cultures. The oldest findings was
made in the Chilca canyon near Lima, dated 8,000
years b.C. This species is almost extinct.
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Llacon (Polymnia sonchifolia), according to
archaeological findings, Llacon appeared in the
Peruvian coast 1,000-500 years b.C. Currently,
it is cultivated only in limited plots in some
mesothermic inter-Andean valleys. It produces a
fleshy root that can be eaten fresh and has a
pleasant sweet taste. Llacon contains insuline,
considered suitable for diabetics.
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Maca (Lepidium meyenii), this is the only
cultivated Crucifer native to the Americas. It is
grown to a limited extent in the upper highland
zones (Puna) above the 4000 m. Local farmers
believe that its consumption improves physical
and mental health, their reproductive capacity,
and makes them immune to certain diseases. The
maca roots are eaten boiled or baked in mud
ovens. Archaeological remains of maca plants in
Junin, Peru, date back to 1,500 b.C.
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Chago (Mirabilis expansa), produce edible
succulent stems and fleshy edible roots with a
high carbohydrate and protein content that are
consumed boiled or fried. The leaves can also be
consumed as salad. Its cultivation is limited to
small areas and gardens. It can be considered a
species in the process of considerable genetic
erosion.
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In recent years, with the aid of the government
of Japan, the International Potato Center
inaugurated in Lima an important laboratory
complex. The purpose of this laboratory is to
preserve the root and tuber crop germplasm and
its large genetic diversity, particularly of
species in the process of extinction or genetic
erosion. At the present these facilities
contain almost six thousand accessions of potato
and sweet potato, and over one thousand five
hundred accessions of valuable other root and
tuber crops, such as the ones I have mentioned in
this presentation.   I thank you for your
attention and your interest in this presentation.
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CIP Germplasm Conservation Laboratories