Case Study: (Virú, Peru) Implementing Integrated Trophic Design in a Passionfruit Monoculture

1. Executive Summary

This case study documents the initial phase of a regenerative transition project with a partner farmer in Virú District, La Libertad Department, Peru. The project, initiated through a partnership with the regional farmer collective ANPE, aimed to convert a conventional passionfruit monoculture into a resilient, biodiverse, and high-value polyculture system using TANIT's Integrated Trophic Design (ITD) framework.

Initial verification, conducted by a TANIT-certified agronomist, established a T4 (Transition Initiated) baseline due to a sandy soil with low organic matter (<1%), low water retention, and low vegetation cover (<30%). Following the implementation of an AI-informed intercropping plan (Passionfruit, Pigeon Pea, and Sunflowers), the farm has shown rapid positive indicators, including observable increases in pollinator biodiversity. The farmer has subsequently become a community leader, organizing a "farming circle" to share these methods.

2. Farmer Profile & Initial Challenge

Farmer: Keedy Cabrera

Location: Virú District, La Libertad Region, Peru.

Background

The farmer operates an established farm with a primary focus on cultivating passionfruit for local and export markets.

Initial Challenge

The farm's primary cultivation method was a passionfruit monoculture. This system, while common, presented long-term challenges related to soil health depletion, a lack of on-farm biodiversity, and high dependency on external inputs. A baseline analysis confirmed that the primary challenge was the low soil organic matter (SOM) typical of dune ecosystems, where soils generally lack structure. However, improving SOM is critical, as conventional agricultural practices may have further degraded soil fertility and resilience.

3. The TANIT Solution: Integrated Trophic Design (ITD)

TANIT, in collaboration with the farmer and ANPE, proposed an AI-informed ITD plan to transition the farm to a productive polyculture.

Strategic Objectives:

  • Improve Soil Health: Introduce diverse root structures and organic matter to rebuild SOM.
  • Enhance Functional Biodiversity: Introduce specific plant guilds to attract pollinators (critical for passionfruit yield) and beneficial predatory insects.
  • Diversify Crops: Increase crop diversity to improve soil fertility, reduce pest outbreaks, and enhance overall system resilience.
  • Strengthen Community Role: Reflect the farmer's participation in regenerative knowledge networks and promote collaboration, contributing to community resilience.

The ITD Polyculture Plan:

  • Primary Crop: Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) - Maintained as the primary high-value crop.
  • Companion Crop 1 (Pollinator Attractor): Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) - Planted in designated rows to attract a high density and diversity of pollinators to the entire field.
  • Companion Crop 2 (Soil Fertility): Pigeon Peas (Cajanus cajan) - Intercropped between passionfruit rows, it adds nitrogen to the soil, prevents erosion with deep roots, provides wind protection, and reduces pest and disease pressure by diversifying the system.

4. Implementation & Baseline Verification

The ITD plan was implemented under the guidance of a TANIT-certified Technician, an agronomist by training, who was dispatched to the farm with a standardized field data collection kit.

Verification Process:

  • Data Collection: The technician conducted a full baseline assessment, including soil sampling according to protocol, visual biodiversity surveys (insect and plant counts), and farm practice interviews.
  • Lab Analysis: Soil samples were securely transported and analyzed by TANIT's partner laboratory in Lima (Soil, Plant, Water, and Fertilizer Analysis Laboratory, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina) to provide quantitative baseline data.

Baseline Data & T-Tier Classification:

Initial T-Tier Classification: T4 (Transition Initiated)

Baseline Soil Organic Matter (SOM): 0.2% (Walkley and Black method, oxidation of organic carbon with potassium dichromate)

Other Key Baseline Metrics:

  • Texture: Sand (97% sand, 0% silt, 3% clay) determined by the hydrometer method.
  • Soil pH: 7.71 (pH of the saturated paste)
  • Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC): 2.3 meq/100g (Ammonium acetate saturation)
  • Field Capacity (FC): 4.53% (equivalent moisture method)
  • Permanent Wilting Point (PWP): 1.2% (equivalent moisture method)
  • Electrical conductivity (EC): 1.15 dS/m (in the saturation paste extract)
  • Baseline Pollinator Count: 5 visits/100 flowers/hr

5. Early Results & Projected Impact (Year 1)

Ecological Impact:

  • Functional Biodiversity: Within the first harvest cycle, the farmer has reported a significant, observable increase in pollinator activity across the farm. The sunflowers have proven highly effective in drawing bees and other native insects, which are now actively servicing the primary passionfruit crop.
  • Synthetic Input Reduction: Within the first implementation cycle, the farmer has eliminated synthetic inputs, switching to bio-inputs such as humic/fulvic acids and microalgae. Ground cover has increased from less than 30% to over 50%, improving soil health, moisture retention, and weed suppression.
  • T-Tier Progression: Based on the successful implementation of the multi-strata polyculture plan and the verifiable commitment to new management practices, the farm is projected to meet the requirements for T3 (Practices Implemented) by the end of the first full harvest year, representing a rapid advancement from the T4 baseline.

Economic & Yield Projections:

  • Expected Passionfruit Yield (Primary Crop): 20000 kg/ha
  • Expected Harvest Period(s): From January to August

Social Impact & Knowledge Sharing:

A significant outcome of this project has been the farmer's empowerment. Inspired by the early results, Keedy Cabrera has proactively established a local "farming circle" (Círculo de Agricultores). He is now actively training neighboring farmers in the ITD intercropping methods, demonstrating the techniques and benefits. This farmer-led initiative creates a scalable model for community-wide regenerative transition and impacts positively on his Capacity Development pillar within the Restorative Spectrum.

6. Conclusion & Next Steps

This case study demonstrates the successful initiation of the TANIT ITD framework in a high-value Peruvian agricultural system. The T4 baseline, defined by low soil organic matter, underscores the urgent need for regenerative intervention. The immediate positive results in biodiversity and the farmer's enthusiastic adoption and leadership validate the model's efficacy and social impact.

TANIT will continue to support this farm by:

  • Conducting ongoing quantitative monitoring of all six pillars within the Restorative Spectrum.
  • Gathering yield and processed-product efficacy data (e.g., nutrient density) post-harvest.
  • Scale implementation through the associated cooperative, of which the farmer is a member (35 members, 60 ha of passionfruit), to validate replicability and accelerate collective adoption.
  • Expand the ITD system from 6,000 m² to 15,000 m² (in progress) with the goal of covering the entire 15 ha farm by 2026/2027.
  • Begin implementing sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in small sections as a cover crop, as it forms a dense mat that protects against erosion, reduces evaporation, and limits weed growth.
  • Connect the harvested produce to partnering processing plants for conversion into powders and oils for on-sale to local and international partners.
Case study image showing the regenerative farming implementation in Virú, Peru