Agro-morphological characterization of tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis Sweet) accessions using descriptors and spectral metrics derived from UAVs

Eunice  Peña-Elme; Kevin  Ortega-Quispe; Lucia  Enriquez-Pinedo; Francis  Cerrón-Mercado; Nery  Amaro-Camarena; Carolina  Girón-Aguilar; Hildo  Loayza-Loza; Samuel  Pizarro-Carcausto

doi:10.17268/sci.agropecu.2026.016

Authors

Eunice Peña-Elme Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Huancayo, Junín, Peru. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4614-0710
Kevin Ortega-Quispe Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Huancayo, Junín, Peru. / Escuela Académico Profesional de Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Continental, Huancayo, Peru. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7436-2894
Lucia Enriquez-Pinedo Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Huancayo, Junín, Peru. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0020-7178
Francis Cerrón-Mercado Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Huancayo, Junín, Peru. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1838-7656
Nery Amaro-Camarena Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Huancayo, Junín, Peru. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6451-3540
Carolina Girón-Aguilar Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Recursos Genéticos y Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), Huancayo, Junín, Peru. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2788-6473
Hildo Loayza-Loza International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru. / Programa Académico de Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Huánuco, Huánuco, Peru. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4145-5453
Samuel Pizarro-Carcausto Centro de Investigación en Geomática Ambiental (CIGA), Instituto de Investigación para el Desarrollo Sustentable de Ceja de Selva (INDES-CES), Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas, Peru. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9345-982X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2026.016

Keywords:

cultivars, conservation, germplasm, variability, photogrammetry, UAVs

Abstract

Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis S.) is a legume native to the Andes, recognized for its high nutritional value, which gives it great potential in food security programs. Therefore, understanding and advancing the conservation of its morphological diversity is essential. In this study, 140 accessions from the national germplasm collection of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation of Peru were evaluated, along with two cultivars ("INIA 445 Masacanchino" and "Andenes 90"). A traditional agro-morphological characterization was conducted using 16 quantitative and 40 qualitative descriptors, complemented by phenological data obtained from time series of reflectance indices generated by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, a principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to select the most relevant variables, and a clustering analysis along with a dendrogram was developed to classify the accessions. The results revealed significant differences between groups (p < 0.05) in terms of inflorescence length, number of pods on the main axis, number of primary branches, and yield per plant. Likewise, the morphological groups exhibited variations in phenophases derived from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Four morphological groups were identified: group 3 (G3) showed the highest growth rate followed by a decline, while group 4 (G4) stood out for its highest initial growth rate. Furthermore, the observed homogeneous phenological conditions indicated that groups 1 (G1) and 4 (G4) matured earlier, making them promising candidates for selection. These findings demonstrate the wide genetic variability of tarwi, which can be exploited in breeding programs for the development of new cultivars. Thus, the study highlights the importance of morphological characterization in understanding the variability of an understudied crop such as tarwi, contributing to conservation and promoting its protection and sustainability.

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