Establishment of simple criteria for the identification of cassava clones produced in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

In Côte d'Ivoire, cassava is widely grown all over the country, and a large variety of varieties is encountered. This diversity is due, on the one hand, to the fact that genotypes respond differently to various soil, climate and biotic factors and, on the other hand, to the continuous exchange of seeds among producers. The objective of this study was to find a limited number of reliable and stable morphological criteria that would allow clones to be identified throughout the cassava chain. The study first consisted of a visit in the experimental station with the aim of identifying all the clones found on the different plots. Twenty clones were randomly selected. Then, cassava descriptors developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) were used to identify differences between these clones. The PCA analysis method highlighted seven main criteria: "color of the last branch", "color of the leaf", "color of the petiole", "color of the rib", "number of branches", "profile of the petioles" and " shape of the branches". These criteria made it possible to differentiate eleven clones.