CHARACTERIZATION AND SELECTION OF GROWTH-PROMOTING BACTERIA IN ORGANIC CULTIVATION OF MACA (Lepidium meyenii Walpers)

AS A BIOTECHNOLOGICAL TOOL TO IMPROVE ITS PRODUCTION QUALITY

ZÚÑIGA D., GARCIA M., TOLENTINO J., SANTOS R. & OGATA K.
Laboratorio de Ecología Microbiana y Biotecnología Marino Tabusso, Dpto. de Biología, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina,
web: www.lamolina.edu.pe/lmt.
INTRODUCTION: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

Maca is an ancient crop that grows in the Peruvian Native strains of the microbial
groups isolated: Pseudomonas Fig. 1 Porcentaje de germinación in vitro a los 2 días
highlands between 3800 and 4400 meters, being one of 100

the few species that generate revenues to farmers in these sp (Ps42), Pantoea 90

Porcentaje de germinación
80

regions. Current studies have been only focused on their agglomerans (5A) and 70
60

chemical composition, paying little attention to its actinomycetes (12act) 50

40
agronomical management. In 2010, maca showed an significantly stimulated the 30

increasing trend in exports, reaching US $ 6.170.011,48 germination of maca seeds (fig. 20

10

million (FOB) (SIICEX, 2010), showing the interest of the 1), compared to the 0
B15 Ps42 Control 14A B11 6A B2 P2N3 Ps31 5A 12Act

international market to consume the native product in its uninoculated control. 40 72 29 33 22 43

Tratamiento
50 62 59 71 70

various presentations. One of the most important

problems of this plant is that, due to its needs of nutrients Also, the P2N3 Rhizobium sp strain, from the rhizosphere of the tara crops (Huanuco
to grow, it impoverishes the soil. Nowadays, there are zone) isolated in a previous work, significantly improved this parameter by doubling
many alternatives of fertilization and soil management, the percentage of germination and increasing the emergence of these seedlings
being the use of biofertilizers one of the most important in compared to N- control (Zúñiga, 2010).
the sustainable agriculture. In this context, the application
of microbial inoculants is a biological alternative to Fig. 2 Likewise, the co-inoculation with
improve the growth of this crop, and which besides bacterial strains 5act+5A and 5A+Ps42
providing it the ability to tolerate certain stress conditions, significantly improved the germination
such as low temperature, frost problems and acid percentage, compared to an
conditions; it allows the restoration of the microflora soils. uninoculated control (fig. 2). In other
tests, the 12act strain, belonging to the
OBJECTIVE genus of actinomycetes, significantly
To study and select plant-growth-promoting bacteria Fig. 3 improved the seedling shoot dry weight
strains isolated from the rhizosphere of maca crops using of maca, doubling it, in comparison to
them as inoculants for improving its in vitro germination the uninoculated control (fig. 3).
and plant growth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

We determinated the potential of PGPR strains to assess
their ability to solubilize phosphates (Nautiyal, 1999), In addition, the in vitro growth of maca seedlings system was standardized. Through
produce indole acetic acid (Gordon & Weber, 1950) and to these tests, we could determine that the best system was the pitcher leonard, also,
increase the percentage of germination and emergency of that the best substrate was the Junin soil, in comparison to the sand, and finally, that
in vitro maca plants. Additionally, it was tested the response the optimum growth temperature was registered between 16 and 19 ° C (fig.4).
of each of the selected strains to interact with each other. Fig. 4
The germination and the installation of in vitro maca plants
6
tests; seeds were disinfected and inoculated with 10 and Thick Soil
8
10 cfu / ml of the bacterial broth. Molecular Sand
characterization of isolates were done by BOX-PCR
amplification to classify the studied bacterial groups and
16s ribosomal gene sequencing to construct the
corresponding phylogenetic trees. BIBLIOGRAFÍA

1) Sistema Integrado de Información de Comercio Exterior (SIICEX). 2010. Exportaciones del producto maca (en línea). Consultado el 30 de ago. 2010.
Disponible en. http://www.siicex.gob.pe/siicex/apb/ReporteProducto.aspx?psector=1025&preporte=prodresu&pvalor=1934.
2) Zúñiga, D. 2010. Caracterización y selección de bacterias promotoras de crecimiento en el cultivo orgánico de maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers)
como herramienta biotecnológica para mejorar su calidad productiva. Proyecto GTZ – CONCYTEC 2008
3) Nautiyal, C. 1999. An efficient microbiological growth medium for screening phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 170:
65-270
4) Gordon, S. & Weber, R. 1950. Colorimetric estimation of indolacetic acid. Division of Biological and Medical Research. Argonne National
Laboratory. Chicago, Illinois.

Aknowlegdment: GTZ-CONCYTEC 2008, FDA/BIOL-111/UNALM and COMCLARA 2010.