Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz.) Improvement through Gamma Irradiation

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz., Euphorbiaceae) is an important dietary carbohydrate source for approximately 800 million people in the tropics. Cassava breeding through conventional approaches are hampered with some limitations which resulted in a low number of superior varieties. The objective of this research was to generate several mutant lines with higher yield and starch content. According to field studies it was found that several cassava mutant lines have higher yield (root fresh weight >10-20 kg plant^-1). Two mutant lines has a high starch content (>39%). However, diversity on some variables are still found in M1V2 generation of cassava.