Morphological characterization of the national cassava collection for conservation purposes at the NIAI, Peru

Marcelo-Salvador M.; Celestino-Avelino D.; Fernández-Huaytalla E.; Contreras-Liza S. · Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agricolas (2025) · DOI: 10.29312/remexca.v16i6.3736

Resumen

The research aimed to morphologically characterize the national collection of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (NIAI), Peru for conservation purposes. The study was conducted at the NIAI experimental station in Huaral (Lima); observation plots were installed with a systematic distribution of 741 accessions in the experimental field. Depending on the development of the crop, the evaluation and characterization were carried out using descriptors prepared by the curators of the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used for the parameters used in the characterization and absolute and relative frequencies were calculated for the qualitative descriptors. Subsequently, a principal component analysis was performed to examine the association between the traits. The quantitative and qualitative parameters allowed discrimination between genotypes and establishing groups of accessions according to their similar characteristics using descriptors developed by the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation. Morphological variability was found among the conserved accessions of the cassava germplasm bank, and 12 promising accessions with potential for use for genetic improvement, suitable for human consumption and for food security, were identified.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional José Faustino Sánchez Carrión