Storage Root of Cassava: Morphological Types, Anatomy, Formation, Growth, Development and Harvest Time

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) is considered a starchy root crop that provides staple food for millions of people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Research efforts are directed toward genetic breeding and cultivation of cassava to improve cassava storage root starch production, nutritional values, and industrial utilization. Cassava storage root (CSR) is a vegetative storage organ with indeterminate type of growth that has a central cylinder (edible part) originated by the swelling of primary root and crown roots. Comprehensive studies on thickened primary root (secondary growth) are rare, incomplete, and to a certain extent, missing. In this chapter, we review and forward studies that move our knowledge on cassava storage root (CSR). CSR generally forms up to 12-14 storage root (SR) per plant, which can originate from three sources of propagating plant materials as well as being induced in vivo and in vitro. Types of storage root (morphologically defined), CSR physiology, tissue anatomy/histology (secondary growth), chemical composition of the edible part, biochemical features, gene expression and proteomics as secondary growth proceeds are of major importance in order to breed cassava plant for agriculture utilization. Storage root morphology varies in shape from cylindrical to globular. Time to initiation of storage root formation varies from 45 to 90 days after planting (DAP), depending on the leaf auxiliary bud position in the vegetative propagating material at the plant source. Storage root growth, starch accumulation, and nutrient contents are largely dependent on genotypes. Storage root anatomy can be identified by eight characteristics common to a root with secondary growth and starch reserve variants. Histological characterizations can be used to identify cell types of primary and secondary meristems, procambium, vascular cambium, phellogen, phelloderm, primary and secondary xylem and phloem, storage parenchyma and sclerenchyma. Three types of meristematic cell differentiations occur as secondary growth proceeds; one due to cork cambium with plane perpendicularly oriented cell division, second due to plane longitudinally oriented cell division in the root apex, and third longitudinally oriented in the epidermal cells. Chemical composition of the storage root varies in the central cylinder (edible part) depending on the sample position in the root and the plant genotype. Therefore, biochemical characteristics are known to change with tissue age as secondary growth proceeds. Moreover, the

Characterization of the root and flour of South African Manihot esculenta Crantz landraces and their potential end-use properties

“…A significant difference (p < .05) in the toughness between the peeled roots of both landraces indicates that the orientation of the xylem vessels may differ. The study of Carvalho et al [4] gives details of the complex structure of the parenchyma which buttresses the findings of this study for the textural properties of the whole root.…”

“…[3] There is a growing interest in the utilization of cassava which has increased research effort toward the application of genetics in cassava breeding and cultivation to improve storage, starch production and nutritional values. [4] The remarkable impact has been made on cassava production in terms of yield, disease tolerance and improvement of quality. [5] Over the years, new hybrids, clones, cultivars, accessions, varieties and landraces of cassava have been developed across the globe.…”

Auxin signaling and vascular cambium formation enable storage metabolism in cassava tuberous roots

“…Cassava ( Manihot esculenta ) is an agronomically important root crop species grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world ( Carvalho et al , 2018 ). Over 60% of the global annual cassava yield is produced in sub-Saharan Africa (http://faostat3.fao.org/), despite the crop being almost exclusively grown by smallholder farmers with limited resources.…”

Symplasmic phloem unloading and radial post-phloem transport via vascular rays in tuberous roots of Manihot esculenta

“…Cassava ( Manihot esculenta ) is a perennial woody shrub that can form up to 14 underground storage roots (Carvalho et al , 2018). Those storage roots, also called tuberous roots, are rich in starch and contribute to the nutrition of over 800 million people, making cassava one of the most important staple food crops in the world (Howeler et al , 2013).…”