Suplementary material - Agromorphological characterization of tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis S.) Accessions Using Traits and Phenology metrics

Tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis S.) is a legume native to the Andes, renowned for its high nutritional value, which gives it significant potential in food security programs. Therefore, the preservation of its genetic and morphological diversity is crucial. A total of 140 accessions from the national germplasm collection of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation of Peru were evaluated, along with two tarwi cultivars ("INIA 445 Masacanchino" and "Andenes 90"). Traditional agromorphological characterization was performed using 16 quantitative and 40 qualitative descriptors, complemented with phenological data extracted from time series of reflectance indices generated by UAVs. In addition, a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to select significant variables and perform cluster analysis. The results show that significant differences were found between the clusters (p value < 0.05) in terms of inflorescence length, number of pods on the main axis, number of primary branches, and yield per plant, and the morphological groups also showed differences in the phenophases derived from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Four morphological groups were identified: group 3 (G3) showed the highest growth and final decrease rate, while group 4 (G4) stood out for its highest initial growth rate. Furthermore, the homogeneous phenological conditions observed suggest that groups 1 (G1) and 4 (G4) matured earlier, making them promising candidates for promising selection. This study highlights the importance of morphological characterization to understand tarwi diversity, contributing to the conservation of its genetic resources and promoting its protection and sustainability.