Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) sustains global caloric intake, but its productivity in Andean highlands is constrained by soil fertility and input reliance. This study represents one of the first field-based evaluations of biofertilizers under high-altitude, rainfed Andean conditions, addressing a maj...

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Autores principales: Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl, Escobal Valencia, Fernando, Tejada Campos, Toribio Nolberto, Piña Díaz, Peter Chris, Cántaro Segura, Hector Baroni, Díaz Morales, Luis Alberto, Matsusaka Quiliano, Daniel Claudio
Formato: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: MDPI 2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12955/2995
https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol6010013
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author Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl
Escobal Valencia, Fernando
Tejada Campos, Toribio Nolberto
Piña Díaz, Peter Chris
Cántaro Segura, Hector Baroni
Díaz Morales, Luis Alberto
Matsusaka Quiliano, Daniel Claudio
author_browse Cántaro Segura, Hector Baroni
Díaz Morales, Luis Alberto
Escobal Valencia, Fernando
Matsusaka Quiliano, Daniel Claudio
Piña Díaz, Peter Chris
Tejada Campos, Toribio Nolberto
Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl
author_facet Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl
Escobal Valencia, Fernando
Tejada Campos, Toribio Nolberto
Piña Díaz, Peter Chris
Cántaro Segura, Hector Baroni
Díaz Morales, Luis Alberto
Matsusaka Quiliano, Daniel Claudio
author_sort Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl
collection Repositorio INIA
description Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) sustains global caloric intake, but its productivity in Andean highlands is constrained by soil fertility and input reliance. This study represents one of the first field-based evaluations of biofertilizers under high-altitude, rainfed Andean conditions, addressing a major knowledge gap in low-input mountain agroecosystems. This study evaluated three seed-applied biofertilizers—Azospirillum brasilense, Trichoderma viride (Trichomax), and an anchovy (Engraulis ringens) based liquid biofertilizer, compared with an untreated control and a soil-test mineral fertilization benchmark in rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. INIA 405 in the central Andes of Peru. A 5 × 5 Latin square design (25 plots) was established under farmer-realistic conditions. At physiological maturity (Zadoks 9.5), plant height, spike length, grains per spike, thousand-grain weight, test weight, root dry mass, and grain yield were recorded. Mineral fertilization achieved the highest yield (1.20 ± 0.79 t ha⁻¹), nearly doubling the control (0.60 ± 0.47 t ha⁻¹). Notably, A. brasilense delivered an intermediate yield of 0.90 ± 0.64 t ha⁻¹, representing a 50% increase over the control—accompanied by a marked rise in root dry mass. T. viride and the anchovy-based input yielded 0.85 ± 0.59 and 0.81 ± 0.59 t ha⁻¹, respectively. Grain physical quality remained stable across treatments (thousand-grain weight ≈ 42 g; test weight 68–75 kg hL⁻¹). Trait responses were complementary: root dry mass increased with mineral fertilization and A. brasilense, whereas spike length increased with mineral fertilization and the anchovy-based input. Overall, the evidence supports biofertilizers, particularly A. brasilense, as effective complements that enable partial fertilizer substitution within integrated nutrient-management strategies for sustainable wheat production in Andean rainfed systems.
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spelling INIA29952026-01-16T15:53:30Z Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl Escobal Valencia, Fernando Tejada Campos, Toribio Nolberto Piña Díaz, Peter Chris Cántaro Segura, Hector Baroni Díaz Morales, Luis Alberto Matsusaka Quiliano, Daniel Claudio Wheat Biofertilizer Azospirillum brasilense Trichoderma viride Root biomass Grain yield Sustainable agriculture Trigo Biofertilizante Biomasa radicular Rendimiento de grano Agricultura sostenible https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#4.01.04 Triticum aestivum; Rendimiento de cultivos; Crop yield; Agricultura sostenible; Sustainable agricultura; Región andina; Aplicación de abono; Fertilizer application; Inoculación; Inoculation; Anchoa; Anchovies Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) sustains global caloric intake, but its productivity in Andean highlands is constrained by soil fertility and input reliance. This study represents one of the first field-based evaluations of biofertilizers under high-altitude, rainfed Andean conditions, addressing a major knowledge gap in low-input mountain agroecosystems. This study evaluated three seed-applied biofertilizers—Azospirillum brasilense, Trichoderma viride (Trichomax), and an anchovy (Engraulis ringens) based liquid biofertilizer, compared with an untreated control and a soil-test mineral fertilization benchmark in rainfed wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. INIA 405 in the central Andes of Peru. A 5 × 5 Latin square design (25 plots) was established under farmer-realistic conditions. At physiological maturity (Zadoks 9.5), plant height, spike length, grains per spike, thousand-grain weight, test weight, root dry mass, and grain yield were recorded. Mineral fertilization achieved the highest yield (1.20 ± 0.79 t ha⁻¹), nearly doubling the control (0.60 ± 0.47 t ha⁻¹). Notably, A. brasilense delivered an intermediate yield of 0.90 ± 0.64 t ha⁻¹, representing a 50% increase over the control—accompanied by a marked rise in root dry mass. T. viride and the anchovy-based input yielded 0.85 ± 0.59 and 0.81 ± 0.59 t ha⁻¹, respectively. Grain physical quality remained stable across treatments (thousand-grain weight ≈ 42 g; test weight 68–75 kg hL⁻¹). Trait responses were complementary: root dry mass increased with mineral fertilization and A. brasilense, whereas spike length increased with mineral fertilization and the anchovy-based input. Overall, the evidence supports biofertilizers, particularly A. brasilense, as effective complements that enable partial fertilizer substitution within integrated nutrient-management strategies for sustainable wheat production in Andean rainfed systems. This research was funded by the INIA project “Improving the availability, access, and use of quality seeds for potato, amylaceous maize, grain legumes, and cereals in the regions of Junín, Ayacucho, Cusco, and Puno (4 departments)”, CUI 2361771. 2026-01-15T22:29:32Z 2026-01-15T22:29:32Z 2026-01-13 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Villegas, E., Escobal, F., Tejada, T., Piña, P., Cántaro-Segura, H., Diaz-Morales, L., & Matsusaka, D. (2026). Advancing sustainable wheat production in the Andes through biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and fermented anchovy-based under rainfed conditions. Applied Microbiology, 6(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol6010013 2673-8007 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12955/2995 https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol6010013 eng urn:issn:2673-8007 Applied Microbiology info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess application/pdf application/pdf MDPI CH Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria Repositorio Institucional - INIA
spellingShingle Wheat
Biofertilizer
Azospirillum brasilense
Trichoderma viride
Root biomass
Grain yield
Sustainable agriculture
Trigo
Biofertilizante
Biomasa radicular
Rendimiento de grano
Agricultura sostenible
https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#4.01.04
Triticum aestivum; Rendimiento de cultivos; Crop yield; Agricultura sostenible; Sustainable agricultura; Región andina; Aplicación de abono; Fertilizer application; Inoculación; Inoculation; Anchoa; Anchovies
Villegas Carrasco, Edwin Raúl
Escobal Valencia, Fernando
Tejada Campos, Toribio Nolberto
Piña Díaz, Peter Chris
Cántaro Segura, Hector Baroni
Díaz Morales, Luis Alberto
Matsusaka Quiliano, Daniel Claudio
Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions
title Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions
title_full Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions
title_fullStr Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions
title_full_unstemmed Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions
title_short Advancing Sustainable Wheat Production in the Andes Through Biofertilization with Azospirillum, Trichoderma and Fermented Anchovy-Based Under Rainfed Conditions
title_sort advancing sustainable wheat production in the andes through biofertilization with azospirillum trichoderma and fermented anchovy based under rainfed conditions
topic Wheat
Biofertilizer
Azospirillum brasilense
Trichoderma viride
Root biomass
Grain yield
Sustainable agriculture
Trigo
Biofertilizante
Biomasa radicular
Rendimiento de grano
Agricultura sostenible
https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#4.01.04
Triticum aestivum; Rendimiento de cultivos; Crop yield; Agricultura sostenible; Sustainable agricultura; Región andina; Aplicación de abono; Fertilizer application; Inoculación; Inoculation; Anchoa; Anchovies
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12955/2995
https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol6010013
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