Abstract

TOFINO, Adriana; CEBALLOS, Hernán  and  ROMERO, Hernán M.. POSSIBILITIES OF CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTUM CRANTZ) EXPANSION IN COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN COAST DROUGHT ZONES BY MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH. Actu Biol [online]. 2008, vol.30, n.88, pp.15-27. ISSN 0304-3584.

Where prolonged drought is a major constraint for the success of food crops such as cereals and cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) produce reasonably well where prolonged drought is a major constraint for their commercial success. In the case of cassava, this is due to its intermediate C3-C4 photosynthesis. Cassava has entered the modern market economy and has a growing demand for its use in processed food, animal feeding, ethanol production, starch and its derivates, and for many different industrial applications. A shift from the traditional small-scale plantings for the fresh market to larger-scale plantings for factory sales requires increased yield, quality, and stability of production in drought-prone zones. In Latin America, approximately 45% of total cassava area comes from sub-humid zones or with sporadic rainfall. Moreover, expansion of this crop tends to occur in marginal lands. Although a wide range of genetic variability in most drought tolerant traits exists within cassava germoplasm, a multidisciplinary research could increase the efficiency for the selection of the best progenitors and gene pyramidation to increase preexisting drought tolerant physiological traits in cassava genome. The main goal of this review is to outline potential research on physiology, biotechnology, and breeding and their possibilities to improve traits to drougth tolerance in cassava.

Keywords : adaptation drought potential; leaf retention; Manihot; net leaf photosynthesis; root depth; water stress.

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