Short-duration cassava genotypes for crop diversification in the humid tropics: growth dynamics, biomass, yield and quality

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2010-01, Vol.90 (2), p.188-198
• Main Authors: Suja, Girija, John, Kuzhivilayil Susan, Sreekumar, Janardanan, Srinivas, Tavva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agriculture - methods; Biodiversity; Biological Transport; Biological variation; Biomass; biomass production and partitioning; Cassava; cassava starch; Conservation of Natural Resources; cooking quality; crop growth rate; crop quality; crop rotation; crop yield; Crops; Crops, Agricultural - genetics; Cyanogen; cyanogenic glycosides; dry matter accumulation; dry matter content; dry matter partitioning; Drying; Food science; Foods; Genotype; Genotype & phenotype; harvest index; Manihot - genetics; Manihot - growth & development; Manihot - metabolism; Manihot esculenta; Nitriles - analysis; nutrient uptake; Nutrients; Nutritive Value; plant growth; Plant Roots - genetics; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - metabolism; Polyploidy; Principal Component Analysis; Principal components analysis; Rice; Roots; soil fertility; starch; Starch - analysis; Studies; triploidy; Tropical Climate; tropics; tuberous root bulking rate; tuberous root yield and quality
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3781

BACKGROUND: Short-duration (6-7 months) cassava provides opportunities to smallholder farmers for effective utilisation of resources such as land, moisture and nutrients as well as diversification of enterprise and income. The variation in biomass production and partitioning, seasonal course of growth indices, yield, quality and nutrient uptake of ten short-duration/early-bulking genotypes of cassava and their impact on nutrient contents in soil in a lowland situation akin to rice fallow were examined in this study.RESULTS: Triploid 2-18 gave the highest yield (38.34 t ha⁻¹), followed by triploid 4-2, Sree Vijaya, Sree Jaya and Vellayani Hraswa, which were on a par (30-32 t ha⁻¹). Vellayani Hraswa, Sree Vijaya and triploid 4-2 had significantly higher tuberous root dry matter content (370-380 mg g⁻¹) and fairly higher starch content (270-280 mg g⁻¹). All genotypes except triploid 4-2, triploid 2-18 and H-165 had low cyanogen content (29.2-43.8 μg g⁻¹), well within the tolerable limit. Tuberous root dry matter and total dry matter production, crop growth rate, tuberous root bulking rate and harvest index at the last phase, number of tuberous roots, mean weight of tuberous roots and nutrient uptake showed significant positive correlations with tuberous root yield. Principal component analysis also showed a similar trend.CONCLUSION: The diploids Sree Vijaya, Sree Jaya, Vellayani Hraswa and Kalpaka are ideal for cultivation in rice fallow for food use owing to their high yield, good cooking quality and low cyanogen content. The triploids are better suited for industrial use owing to their high tuberous root dry biomass production.