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Symbiotic Native Microorganisms of Quinoa in the Bolivian Altiplano

Abstract:

Quinoa evolved in the highland area of Bolivia and other Andean countries in an extreme zone, with altitudes between 2800 and 4000 m above sea level, semiarid climates with low precipitation (250 mm/year), temperatures from −3 to 21 °C, soils with less than 1% organic matter, and a weak structure without aggregates. At the same time, quinoa co-evolved with symbiotic microorganisms, which provide different environmental services. Microorganisms were isolated from different parts of the quinoa plants, including grains, leaves, roots, and the rhizoplane and rhizosphere, which were molecularly identified. We mainly found filamentous fungi and bacteria of the Bacillus genus and other genera. These microorganisms were analyzed to understand the functional relationship with the plant, determining the production capacity of phytohormones, the recycling of nutrients, and the suppression of soil pathogens. The effect of the metabolites generated by symbiotic filamentous fungi was also analyzed. Taken together, the present study revealed that quinoa harbors a large number of diverse cultivable symbiotic bacteria and fungi that also serve as new sources of beneficial microorganisms and bioactive metabolites.