Cassava Periclinal Chimera: A New Plant Breeding Technique

Abstract

Periclinal chimera plants could be synthesized by a very easy grafting method. Thanks to this technique we can transfer useful characters from one genotype to another, we also can produce vigorous plants during a very short period. Recently in cassava, resistance to nematode could be transferred, and could develop vigorous plants by combining two types that have high combining ability. The most striking feature is that we can obtain enormous roots up to five times the common ones. By using this type of chimera we can replace traditional hybridization and no need to recurrent crosses cycles to transfer useful characters, reducing to a very short period developing a new variety and perpetuating it too.