Waru Waru

Waru Waru is an Andean farming system of raised planting beds separated by canals. The canals help regulate water and soil temperature, reducing frost damage while supporting cultivation in difficult conditions.

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Raised-field agriculture: A farming method that elevates planting surfaces above surrounding ground, often to improve drainage or water control. Waru Waru is a regional form of raised-field agriculture, adapted to Andean highlands.
Tiwanaku: A pre-Columbian Andean civilization and state centered near Lake Titicaca from roughly 500 to 1000 CE. Raised-field landscapes around Lake Titicaca are associated with farming during Tiwanaku's prominence.
Altiplano: A high plateau in the central Andes, spanning parts of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Waru Waru is suited to the Altiplano's cold nights, seasonal flooding, and short growing season.
Puno: A city and region in southeastern Peru, on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Raised-field restoration and farming initiatives have been associated with the Puno region.
Frost: A deposit of ice crystals formed when surfaces cool below freezing in moist air. Water in the canals can release stored heat at night, moderating frost around crops.
Lake Titicaca Basin: The high-altitude watershed surrounding Lake Titicaca in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia. Extensive archaeological raised fields occur in this region, a major setting for Waru Waru.
Potato: A tuber crop domesticated in the Andes and now cultivated worldwide. Potatoes are among the crops grown in Andean raised-bed systems.
Huatta: A district in Peru's Puno Region near Lake Titicaca, known for archaeological raised fields. Huatta is a prominent site where ancient raised fields have been studied and experimentally revived.
Microclimate: The climate of a small, localized area that differs from its surroundings. Bed height and nearby water create local temperature and moisture conditions for crops.
Pre-Columbian agriculture: Farming systems developed in the Americas before European colonization. Waru Waru belongs to the agricultural traditions established in the Andes before Spanish rule.