Application of microbial consortia for the sustainable production of potato seeds var. Unique in the Southern Highlands of Peru

Abstract

Soil microorganisms hold considerable promise for the development of integrated, sustainable agricultural systems. In particular, synergistic interactions between fungi and nitrifying bacteria enhance crop growth and productivity. This study evaluated microbial consortia designed to increase vegetative growth, seed-tuber production, and crop yield of Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Única under high-Andean conditions in Arequipa, Peru. A randomized complete-block design with three replicates was employed. Plant height, stem number, yield components disaggregated by tuber grade (RS1–RS3 and marketable tubers > 120 g), seed-tuber number per plant, and dry-matter content were recorded and compared using Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). The combination Trichoderma harzianum/viride + effective microorganisms (T2) increased plant height by 40 % over the uninoculated control and achieved the highest total yield (31.8 t ha⁻¹). The treatment T. harzianum/viride + Azotobacter salinestris (T1) tripled marketable-tuber yield (20.9 t ha⁻¹), whereas MOBs-INIA + T. harzianum/viride (T3) produced 9.39 t ha⁻¹ of first-grade seed tubers and 0.43 t ha⁻¹ of third-grade seed tubers, more than doubling total seed-tuber yield relative to the control (T5). Microbial consortia formed superior statistical groups for seed-tuber number and grades RS1–RS3. Dry-matter content and branching did not differ significantly, although slight improvements were observed in T1 and T2. Collectively, the results support coinoculation with fungal–bacterial consortia as a sustainable strategy to enhance yield and seed availability while reducing chemical fertiliser inputs in the Arequipa region.