Effect of pruning young branches on fruit and seed set in cassava

Flowering in cassava is closely linked with branching. Early-flowering genotypes branch low and abundantly. Although farmers prefer late flowering genotypes because of their erect plant architecture, their usefulness as progenitors in breeding is limited by their low seed production. In general, the first inflorescence aborts in cassava. Preventing this abortion would result in early production of seeds and make cassava breeding more efficient. The objective of this study was to assess if pruning young branches prevents the abortion of first inflorescences and promotes early fruit and seed set. Four genotypes with early, late, very late, and no flowering habits were grown under an extended photoperiod (EP) or normal dark night conditions (DN). Additional treatments included pruning young branches at the first or second flowering event and spraying (or not) benzyladenine (BA) after pruning. One genotype failed to flower and was not considered further. For the remaining genotypes, EP proved crucial to induce an earlier flowering, which is a pre-requisite for pruning. Total production of seeds in EP plots was 2,971 versus 150 in DN plots. For plants grown under EP, the average number of seeds per plant without pruning was 3.88, whereas those pruned produced 17.60 seeds per plant. Pruning at the first branching event led to higher number of seeds per plant (26.25) than pruning at the second flowering event (8.95). In general, applying BA was beneficial (38.52 and 13.98 seeds/plant with or without spraying it, respectively). The best combination of treatments was different for each genotype. Pruning young branches and applying BA in the first flowering event not only prevented the abortion of inflorescences but also induced the feminization of male flowers into hermaphrodite or female-only flowers. The procedures suggested from this study (combining EP, pruning young branches, and spraying BA), allowed the production of a high number of seeds from erect cassava genotypes in a short period. The implementation of these procedures will improve the breeding efficiency in cassava

Plantando estacas de yuca

En este módulo se ilustra la manera en que los tallos de yuca (material de siembra) se almacenan debajo de un árbol desde el momento de su cosecha hasta que llega el momento de su utilización para iniciar un nuevo ciclo de cultivo. Se muestra también los cangres o estacas obtenidos de cada tallo y la manera en que se plantan en el campo para parcelas de multiplicación, evaluación o producción

Criterios de selección

En el proceso de selección de los mejores materiales en distintos tipos de evaluación de materiales segregantes de yuca se consideran cuatro criterios principales: a) tipo de planta; b) Contenido de materia seca; c) Rendimiento de raíces frescas y d) Índice de cosecha. En este video se ilustra cómo se realizan estas mediciones en el camp

CLIFF-GRADS Science Collaboration Series 2020 - Thematic student session: Integrated Systems

The 2020 CLIFF-GRADS Science Collaboration Series was developed to facilitate technical capability building, knowledge transfer and international collaboration for the CLIFF-GRADS Alumni. Particularly for the Round 3 CLIFF-GRADS whose research stays have been delayed due to the global Covid-19 Pandemic. In addition to a series of special sessions with guest speakers, these webinars provide a platform for the Round 3 students to present their PhD research and research questions to their CLIFF-GRADS peers. Through establishing research connections, the CLIFF- GRADS Alumni network can connect internationally and across research institutes. Thematic Sessions: Specifically, during a series of thematic sessions, the Round 3 students will have the opportunity to clarify their PhD research questions and/or research direction with their peers. The thematic sessions have been disaggregated into the following agricultural systems: i) integrated, ii) pastoral and agronomy, iii) ruminant, iv) rice and v) soil. Featured Speakers: Dr. Todd Rosenstock, Climate Change and Environmental Scientist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF); Ciniro Costa Junior, CCAFS. Student Speakers: Mary Eyeniyeh Ngaiwi, Cameroon; Abdulhakeem Lawal Ahmad, Nigeria; Fernanda Leite, Brazil; Sara Stephanie Valencia Salazar, Colombia. Learn more about the CLIFF-GRADS Program and Alumni: https://ccafs.cgiar.org/CLIFF-GRADS (Aug 31, 2020