Evaluation and Selection of Elite Cassava Varieties for Storage Root Yield in the Transition and Guinea Savannah Ecologies of Ghana

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify and select local and improved cassava varieties suitable for cultivation in the transition and Guinea savannah agroecology of Ghana against climate change. Two agroecologies; transition and Guinea savannah ecologies were considered for the study. Four cassava growing communities were chosen in the transition zone whilst three cassava growing communities were chosen for the Guinea savannah ecology. The cassava varieties representing the treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications at each location. A total of 13 cassava varieties were used for the study. Cassava cuttings measuring 20-25 cm were planted using a spacing of 1m × 1m. Harvesting was done at 12 months after planting to assess storage root yield of the cassava varieties at the different locations. Analysis of variance indicated significant (P≤ 0.05) varietal differences among the local varieties for root yield (11.25 - 29.27 t/ha), harvest index (0.46 – 0.75), storage root number per plant (2 - 8 roots/plant) and mean storage root weight (307.0 - 972.4 g) in Transition zone. However, there were no significant varietal differences between the improved varieties for root yield. The best performing improved varieties in the transition zone were Bankyehemaa (28.06 t/ha), Eskamaye (27.76 t/ha) and Nkabom (26.99 t/ha) whilst Filindiakong (22.65 t/ha) and Nyerikobga (31.17 t/ha) were identified to be suitable for the Guinea savannah ecology. Therefore, these cassava varieties can be cultivated to mitigate the effects of climate change on cassava and ensure food security.

Determination of genomic regions associated with early storage root formation and bulking in cassava

“…Early bulking is also very important in situations where farmers, especially in semi-arid areas, are forced to boost production and harvest their crops after just one cycle of rain due to pressure on agricultural fields. However, a report by Adjebeng-Danquah et al (2012) indicated that excessive earliness affects yield due to the reduction in the time of dry matter accumulation. To reduce yield loss due to early harvesting, it is important to carefully select cassava genotypes that partition dry matter into the storage roots earlier.…”

Variation among cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) genotypes for storage root yield, yield components and response to cassava mosaic disease at advanced breeding stage

“…Nevertheless, cassava yields in Nigeria are low at average of 6.9 t/ha of fresh roots (FAOSTAT 2021). This low yield can be attributed to low soil fertility, poor agronomic practices and drought stress which results to about 80% yield losses (Omolara et al 2021;Adjebeng-danquah et al 2022).…”

Genotypic variability and genetic parameters for root yield, dry matter and related traits of cassava in the Guinea Savannah ecological zone of Ghana

“…The crop possesses different adaptive morphological and physiological attributes that make it resilient in dry ecologies where most crops grown for food and feed would fail (Adjebeng-Danquah et al, 2020;Okogbenin et al, 2013;El-Sharkawy and Cadavid, 2002;El-Sharkawy, 2007;Lenis et al, 2006) It is therefore an ideal feed and food security crop in such ecologies (El-Sharkawy, 2004;Hillocks, 2002). Despite the high potential ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE of cassava as an industrial raw material particularly starch and animal feed industry (Ceballos et al, 2004;Ceballos et al, 2012), past breeding efforts in the Guinea savannah ecology have focused on developing early bulking varieties and varieties with good food quality with adaptation to the short growing season of the Guinea Savannah agroecological zone of Ghana (Adjebeng-Danquah et al, 2012;Adu-Gyamfi et al, 2016;Osei et al, 2002). Genotypes that fail to meet these objectives are discarded at an earlier stage of the breeding programme.…”