Influence of climate variations in the production of sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.)

Abstract

The production of sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) in the tropical countries of South America has increased rapidly because of the high quality and nutritional value of the oil in its Omega 3, 6 and 9 components. A review of the available literature on sacha inchi shows that most research on this promising species has been focused on oil and its derivatives, with little attention to agronomic processes, in which predetermined technology transfer models are applied and not adapted to the particular environmental, cultural and economic conditions of the production areas. This article presents a review of articles and technical reports related to the influence of climatic variations on sacha inchi production, covering the phases of germination, growth, flowering and reproduction, presence of pests and diseases, harvesting, post-harvest and oil extraction. The aim is to provide readers with an updated view of the implications of increases or decreases in temperature and rainfall for sacha inchi cultivation, which are areas of knowledge that have been little explored in this promising oilseed species.