Cultivation of Tarwi in the Andes
1 2022-05-11T11:36:55-07:00 Lysol Patino fa4807587d439da7c652621d767462e8ddabe5bd 40688 5 Image depicting different stages of Tarwi cultivation plain 2022-05-23T11:38:50-07:00 Sarah Simpson 2cca5d1758ce821e43339c83d4af59d20561387fThis page is referenced by:
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2022-05-11T11:25:20-07:00
Tarwi: A forgotten gift from the Andes
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By Lysol Patino and Sarah Simpson #tarwi
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2022-05-24T11:15:01-07:00
Historical Accounts
Domestication and Cultivation
Nutritional Value
Human Experience and Future UsesNomenclature and Naming
The linnean binomial nomenclature of this plant is Lupinus mutabilis. This plant is in the genus Lupinus and the species is mutabilis. Lupinus is derived from “wolfish” and this refers to the highly organized structure of wolf packs. The term mutabilis is Latin for, mutable, variable, or liable to change. This name could have been chosen because of the variation seen in the colors and seeds that the L. mutabilis plant produces. Some common names for L. mutabilis include: tarwi, chocho, pearl lupin, and Andean lupin. Some of these common names are derived from indigenous naming; called “tarwi” by the Quechua people and “tauri” by the Aymara people.Evolutionary History
L. mutabilis is hypothesized to descend from the wild ancestral parent, L. piurensis. This is hypothesized due to the morphological similarities between L. mutabilis and L. piurensis. Similar morphological traits include glaucous stems, palmate leaf structures, and large colorful flowers. However, a notable difference between the two species is that L. mutabilis has indehiscent pods, large pale seeds, and a higher seed germination rate. It is estimated that L. mutabilis split from its progenitor L. piurensis at around 2600 BP, BP refers to “before present,” also notated as 650 BC. This crop is hypothesized to have been domesticated in the Cajamarca region in Northern Peru. The first archeological evidence of L. mutabilis was found in the Mantaro Valley in Central Peru and dated back to 1800 BP. There has been recent evolutionary history within the L. mutabilis species with the cultivation of new varieties with low alkaloid content. Alkaloids make the taste of the seeds bitter, and seeds would have to be thoroughly washed to remove the flavor. So this led to an interest in breeding a variety of L. mutabilis with low alkaloid content, called L. mutabilis Sweet.
This phylogenetic tree compares the similarities between different lupine species found in the “New World.” This phylogeny documents the appearance of important traits such as digitated leaves and if it is an annual, survive one year, or perennial, survive two years, species. The phylogeny indicates that L. mutabilis has traits of digitated leaves, leaves in the shape of a palm with ‘digits,’ and is an annual species that sprout from seed and dies in one yearly cycle. L. mutabilis shares the trait of digitates leaves with many other Western New World lupine species.Ecology and Life History
This crop is in the Fabaceae legume family and is an annual crop that dies off after producing bean pods. It is believed to have been domesticated in northern Peru due to its cultivation history that is heavily dependent on the high altitude of the Andes. It usually grows at higher altitudes ranging from 800 to 3000 meters. Although mildly resistant to drought and frosts, prolonged seasons with both will kill the crop.
The growing period lasts anywhere from 150-360 days, and the exact time length depends on the environment. This includes climate, altitude, and how these interact with the genetics of the plant. Development is much like other lupine species, including emergence from the seed, first leaf development, flower development, and pod/seed development. Tawri seeds have a short germination period, producing shoots within days. The flowers develop in mounds, and these mounds are actually flower clusters called a raceme. Raceme are separate flowers attached almost equidistantly by stalks connected to a central stem. A young tarwi plant will have raceme that are just developing, or with only flowers at the base of the stalk fully open, with unopened buds towards the top of the cluster. A mature tarwi plant will have a fully blooming raceme and developing seed pods. It also grows short, branched taproots that interact with rhizobia as the plant ages. Rhizobia are bacteria that exist in the soil that develop symbiotic relationships with legumes by establishing themselves inside the root nodules of the plants. They fix nitrogen that becomes available to the plant and surrounding plants once inside these root nodules, something these plants and bacteria cannot do independently otherwise. Successful inoculation with this bacteria is associated with higher yields. It can enrich the soil with nitrogen that would benefit not only L. mutabilis but other crops grown in rotations with it.Vegetative and Reproductive Morphology
L. mutabilis has indeterminate growth patterns, meaning that, unlike other plants that stop growing in maturity, tarwi continues growing in height/width. It is also a plant with sympodial branching. It can be a very tall plant, with heights ranging from 0.5-2.8 meters. The leaves are typical and have a palmate structure. One leaf can be divided into 5-12 leaflets, which are lanceolate or oval in shape. A mature tarwi plant’s flowers are blue and purple, with small white banners and a touch of yellow-orange at the center. They grow in long mounds that extend above the rest of the plant. The plant develops seed pods anywhere from 5-10 cm in length. The seeds are about 5 mm in diameter and range from white to black, with mottled varieties of white with brown/black.
Tarwi flowers are arranged in an inflorescence structure that is a highly ordered cluster of flowers along the stem. These flowers come in various colors ranging between white and purple, but Tarwi is mainly known for its purple color, which can be used for dyes. These flowers also have yellow banners. The morphology of these flowers includes five petals and corollas that reach between one to two centimeters in length. These flowers are predominately self-pollinating, but they can be cross-pollinated. After pollination, the plant produces bean pods with large seeds that are indehiscent and do not break apart. Each seedpod typically contains four to five seeds. The seeds produced by the L. mutabilis crop contain alkaloids which make them bitter, sometimes toxic, and unfavorable to pathogens and predators.
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