Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crop of nutritional and economic importance worldwide, cultivated in more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries including Ecuador, where it is traditionally cultivated in the three continental regions: Amazonia, the Coast and in the valleys of the Sierra. The purpose of this study is to characterize 195 accessions from INIAP’s Ecuadorian cassava collection through (1) morphological characterization with qualitative and quantitative descriptors; and (2) ecogeographic characterization to know the climatic, geophysical, and edaphic conditions in which cassava grows and which environments are frequent or marginal for its cultivation. For the morphological characterization, 27 morphological descriptors were used (18 qualitative and nine quantitative), and for the ecogeographic characterization, 55 variables (41 climatic, two geophysical and 12 edaphic). Four morphological groups and three ecogeographic groups were identified. Morphological variability was evidenced mainly in descriptors related to the leaves, stems, and inflorescences. In addition, it was possible to identify accessions that appear capable of growing under extreme conditions of drought and poor soils. These accessions could be used for improvement.
Highlights
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important subsistence and commercial crop worldwide, grown in more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries [1,2,3]
Cassava is usually cultivated by subsistence farmers since it presents easy propagation systems, high tolerance to abiotic factors such as drought and biotic factors such as insects and viruses, and a low nutrient demand, producing reasonably well in marginal climatic and soil conditions [4,5,6,7]. This species is native to South America, and is currently widely cultivated in the tropics as a result of the selection and domestication by indigenous peoples who have played an essential role in the composition and diversity of cassava [8,9,10]
In South America, the highest production is in Brazil, with 17,497,115 metric tons in 2019, while Ecuador occupies the eighth place; cassava is the fourth seasonal crop with the largest surface area at the national level, 13,601 hectares and annual production of 69,863 metric tons [11]
Summary
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important subsistence and commercial crop worldwide, grown in more than 100 tropical and subtropical countries [1,2,3]. Cassava is usually cultivated by subsistence farmers since it presents easy propagation systems, high tolerance to abiotic factors such as drought and biotic factors such as insects and viruses, and a low nutrient demand, producing reasonably well in marginal climatic and soil conditions [4,5,6,7]. This species is native to South America, and is currently widely cultivated in the tropics as a result of the selection and domestication by indigenous peoples who have played an essential role in the composition and diversity of cassava [8,9,10]. In the province of Manabí (Coast Region), in addition to self-consumption, it generates economic income through the commercialization of fresh and/or processed cassava as flour [14]
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