Cassava germplasm resource development

Abstract

Main activities carried out regarding plant breeding in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are summarized. In the case of Latin America, activities involved germplasm management, gene pool development, a project for developing semiarid and subtropical germplasm, participatory research for var. selection, and true cassava seed. For Africa, these included germplasm exchange and evaluation of introduced germplasm in Nigeria (CAMD, CBB); for Asia, these were national program development, technical developments, germplasm distribution, and var. release. Major research highlights are the introduction of a 1st lot of 87,615 botanical seeds obtained at CIAT headquarters by controlled hybridization to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture as part of a collaborative agreement on cassava germplasm improvement in Africa. Half of these seeds were sown in 3 different ecologies of Nigeria, representing humid, subhumid, and semiarid areas of Africa. The material will be evaluated and selected on the basis of yield, growth habit, and reaction to biotic constraints, particularly CAMV and CBB. Likewise, the methodology developed for farmers' participation in var. selection on Colombia's northern coast has directly resulted in the release of 2 clones, ICA Catumare and ICA Cebucan. (CIAT)