White clover, alfalfa, and other forage crops have been introduced in limited areas to improve forage quality. The production of alpaca fiber has increased from sire exchange among herds and from community investment in wetland areas for forage. The early acceptance of rustic greenhouses has been encouraging. Revolving funds for the purchase of higher-quality seed of selected native varieties of Andean crops have also met with some success. An export market for quinoa is emerging, and preferences are for white bold-seeded types that grow in the very dry conditions of the southern Altiplano.
Some promising technologies are in the pipeline.
Several frost-resistant potato varieties are nearing the release stage in Bolivia. Halophytic plants could markedly improve feed supplies and rehabilitate saline areas. Low-cost shelters for livestock can substantially reduce energy loss during cold nights. Research on cold-tolerant forage crops and on range management of native grasslands also has bright prospects. Advances in information technology featuring computer simulation models built on digital databases and satellite imagery and incorporating GIS techniques are increasingly helping to define problems, evaluate risk, and design technologies.