PERFORMANCE OF SOME SELECTED CASSAVA PROGENIES FROM A BIPARENTAL POPULATION OF TWO NON-INBRED PARENTS

Abstract

Cassava is an important root crop in sub-Saharan Africa and is a crop of choice for resource-poor farmers in savannah areas, where its production faces dry spells at certain periods of the year. This study was carried out to evaluate some selected progenies of a drought-tolerant mapping population of two non-inbred cassava parents. The study was based on 30 genotypes comprising 25 progenies and five checks which included the two parents which were arranged in a 6 × 5 alpha lattice design with three replications. These genotypes were assessed for growth and yield parameters including plant height, storage root yield, and yield components. Analysis of variance indicated significant (p < 0.05) genotypic variability in all the traits except mean root weight. A greater proportion of the observed phenotypic variability for all the traits (apart from mean root weight) was due to the genotypic effect which indicated strong genetic influence. A significant positive correlation was found between storage root yield and girth, harvest index, and mean root weight, making these traits suitable secondary traits for indirect selection for root yield. The principal component analysis further identified plant height, storage root yield, mean root weight, and storage root girth as the key productive traits contributing to the variability among the cassava genotypes. Five of the progenies; 061A (36.55 t ha^-1), 126A (28.73 t ha^-1), 175A (27.65 t ha^-1), 067A (26.53 t ha^-1), and 026A (26.34 t ha^-1) had a significantly greater root yields than the highest yielding check variety, TMS98/0505 (23.42 t ha^-1). The superior progenies would be selected for further testing towards release.