Agromorphological Characterization of Native Potato Cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Puno

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the third most important food crop worldwide and a primary staple food. Its high global production justifies the present study. The objective was to perform an agromorphological characterization of native potato cultivars to identify essential phenotypic patterns for the preservation of agrobiodiversity and genetic improvement. A total of 125 native potato cultivars were evaluated using 21 standardized qualitative and quantitative descriptors established by Bioversity International, including growth habit, leaf morphology, floral traits, and tuber characteristics. Four distinct phenotypic groups were identified: Group I (32%) with erect growth habit; Group II (54%) with semi-erect habit; Group III (13%) with decumbent habit; and Group IV (1%) with semi-rosette habit. Stem pigmentation was green (58%), green with pigmented spots (28%), and fully pigmented (14%). Floral morphology was rotate (42%), pentagonal (38%), and semi-star-shaped (20%). Petal coloration was lilac/purple (48%), light blue/white (36%), and pinkish red (16%). Tuber shape was round (31%), ovate (27%), and compressed (18%). Flesh color was white (44%), yellow (32%), and purple (24%). Finally, a phylogenetic tree and principal component analysis (PCA) were developed, revealing high homogeneity within the native potato cultivars (Group 1) and divergent outlier values (Groups 2, 3, and 4), highlighting the need for integrated analyses to explore genetic diversity.