Cultivated genetic diversity and farmers’ knowledge – keys to cassava breeding
1Department of Plant Biology and Forest Genetics, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden 2Plant Resources Center, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
Anna Westerbergh1, Hoang Thi Nga2, Per-Olof Lundquist1, Vu Linh Chi2
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge
Pre-breeding
Identification of genotypes/plants with desirable traits and genes controlling these traits in wild crop relatives and local farmers’ varieties
Cyanogenic glycosides
Bitter Sweet
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge Cyanogenic glycosides
Bitter Sweet
wild cassava
Pre-breeding
Breeding
Dissemination to farmers
Adoption by farmer - production
Licensing and release of improved varietiey
Tim
e
Identification of plants with desirable traits and genes controlling these traits
I. Crossing of selected plants ll. Selection of progenies with desirable traits combining trait evaluation and genetic markers
From ”wild” plant to a cultivated crop
?
Consumption, marketing
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge
• But will these new improved cultivars be adopted by the farmers? • Are there other characteristics/traits and varieties important for the farmers?
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge
Interdiciplinary approach
Farmer interviews
Field observations
• name of cultivated varieties • origin • morphological description • primary use • desirable traits • cultivation practices
Molecular markers – genetic bar code – genetic diversity
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge
..... for comparative studies
Sắn xanh local
variety
Sắn cao sản improved
Sắn lá tre improved
Sắn trắng improved
Less genetic diversity within fields Varieties in separate plots Majority of improved varieties Description – leaf, stem, root morphology & taste Local – sweet Improved – bitter Constraints – climate, NOT diseases
Compared to findings in Uganda, the cassava in Vietnam had:
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge
Utilization and processing of bitter and sweet varieties
Cassava diversity and farmers’ knowledge
Colonization and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhiza in cassava roots
Glomeromycetes
Farmer-researcher collaboration in pre-breeding and cassava improvement
Thanks to
Colleagues at
Plant Resource Center and Vietnam Academy of Forest Sciences Forest Hanoi,Vietnam
Med Biotech Laboratories , Kampala, Uganda International Center of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia
SLU
Funders UD (Swedish Ministry of Forein Affairs)
Formas (Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning)
Sida (Swedish Agency for Development Cooperation)
......and You for listening