Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wild and indigenous cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz diversity: An untapped genetic resource

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cassava is the most important food for poor people in the tropics. Its roots are used either fresh or in numerous processed forms. It is a shrub with tuberous adventitious roots arising from stem cutting. Wild relatives of cassava are perennial and vary in growth pattern from nearly acaulescent subshrubs to small trees. They have been used as a source of useful characters such as high protein content, apomixis, resistance to mealy bug and mosaic disease and tolerance to drought. Cultivars stem from interspecific hybrids of cassava with M. glaziovii Muell.-Arg. are cultivated now in about 4 millions hectars in Nigeria. Indigenous clones are potential source of B-carotene and lycopene.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anonymous (1989) Central tuber crops research institute annual report. Thruvandrum, 1989, 86 pp. 2

  • Beck BD (1986) Cassava trials on Moor plantation. Rep. Dept. Agric. Res. Nigeria, 1958–1959

  • Beck BC (1986) Cassava trials on moor plantation. Rep. Dept. Agric. Res. Nigeria, 1958–1959

  • Bolhuis GG (1966) Influence of length of the illumination period on root formation in cassava. Neth J Agric Sci 14:151–262

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruijn GH (1971) A study on cyanogenetic character of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), Mededelingen Landbouwhogesschool Wangeningen, 140 pp

  • Coursey DG, Hybnes PH (1970) Root crops and their potential as food in the tropics. World crops 22(5):261–265

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon AGOA, Brandyop R, Ortiz R (2003) Cassava from poor farmers crop to Pacesetters of African Rural Development. Chronica Horticulturae 43 3–69 FAO Yearbook 2002

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO Yearbook, 2003, Rome

  • Lancaster PA, Ingram JS, Lim MY, Coursey DG (1982) Traditional cassava based foods: survey of processing techniques. Econ Bot 36(1):12–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magoon ML, Joss JS, Appan SG (1966) Cytomorphology of interspecfic hybrid between cassava and ceara rubber. Chromosome Information Service (Japan) pp 8–10

  • Nassar NMA (1978a) Conservation of the genetic resouces of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz): determination of wild species localites with emphasis on probable origin. Econ Bot 32:311–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1978b) Genetic resouces of cassava: chromosome behaviour in some Manihot species. Ind J Genet. 38(1):135–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1978c) Hydrocyanic acid content in some wild Manihot (cassava) species. Can J Plant Sci 58:577–578

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1986) Genetic variation of wild Manihot species native to Brazil and its potential for cassava improvement. Field Crops Res 13:177–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1989) Broadening the genetic base of cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz by interespecific hybridization. Can J Plant Sci 69:1071–1073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1991) Production of triploid cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz by hybrid diploid gametes. Field Crops Res 13:173–182

    Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1995) Development and selection for apomixis in cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz. Can J Plant Sci 4:857–858

    Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1997) Development of cassava interespecific hybrids for savana (cerrado) conditions. J Root Crops 22:9–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (1999) Cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz genetic resources: their collection, evaluation and manipulation. Adv Agronomy 69:179–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (2000a) Wild Cassava, Manihot spp.: biology and potentialities for genetic improvement. Genet Mol Biol 23:201–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (2000b) Cytogenetics and Evolution of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Genet Mol Biol 23:41003–41014

    Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (2001) The nature of apomixis in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Hereditas 134:185–187

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA (2004) Polyploidy, Chimera and fertility of interspecific cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz. Indian J Genet Plant Breed 62:132–133

  • Nassar NMA, Costa CP (1978) Tuber formation and protein content in some wild cassava species native to Brazil. Experientia (Basel) 33:1304–1306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Dorea G (1982) Protein contents of cassava cultivars and its hybrid with Manihot species. Turrialba 32(4):429–432

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Teixeira (1983) Seed germination of wild cassava species (Manihot spp.). A quebra de barreira da semente das espécies selvagens da mandioca. Manihot spp. (In Portuguese). Ciência e Cultura 35(5)630–632

  • Nassar NMA, Freitas M (1997) Prospects of polyploidizing cassava. Manihot esculenta Crantz, by unreduced microspores. Plant Breed 116:195–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Nassar Hala NM, Vieira C, Carvalho A (1996a) Induction of a productive aneuploid in cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz. Braz J Genet 19:123–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Carvalho A, Vieira C (1996b) Overcoming barries between cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz and wild relative. M. pohiil Warwa. Braz J Genet 19:617–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Vieira C, Grattapaglia D (1998a) Molecular and embryonic evidence of apomix in cassava interspecific hybrids (Manihot spp.). Can J Plant Sci 78:348–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Vieira C, Grattapaglia D (1998b) Evidence of apomixis in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Genet Mol Biol 21:527–530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Santos E, David SRO (2000) The transference of apomixis genes from Manihot neusana Nassar to cassava, M. esculenta Crantz. Hereditas 132:167–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar NMA, Vizzotto CA, da Silva HL, Schwartz CA, Pres Junior OR (2005) Geneconserve www.geneconserve.pro.br articles , issue no. p :267–283

  • Ortiz R (2004) Acknowledgement : www.geneconserve.pro.br/iita2.gif

  • Rogers DJ (1963) Studies of Manihot esculenta Crantz (Cassava) and related species, Bull Torrey Bot 90:43–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers DJ (1965) Some botanical and ethnological considerations of Manihot esculenta Crantz. Econ Bot 19:369–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers DJ, Appan SG (1973) Manihot, Manihotoides (Euphorbiaceae) Hafner Press, New York, 272

  • Storey HH, Nichols RFW (1938) Studies on the mosaic disease of cassava. Ann Appl Biol 25:790–806

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams CN, Gazhali SM (1969) Growth and productivity of tapioca (Manihot utilissima) 1, Leaf characteristics and yield. Exp Agric 5:183–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is being supported by the Brazilian National council for Scientific Development (CNPq), Brasilia. The above-mentioned living collection was established at the Universidade de Brasilia, with the help of the Canadian International Development Research Center (IDRC), Ottawa in the years 1976-1982 to whom this author is grateful.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Genética, Universidade de Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil

    Nagib M. A. Nassar

Authors
  1. Nagib M. A. Nassar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nagib M. A. Nassar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nassar, N.M.A. Wild and indigenous cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz diversity: An untapped genetic resource. Genet Resour Crop Evol 54, 1523–1530 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-006-9144-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-006-9144-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation