It has been observed that farmers adopt only a
small number of the “improved” cultivars. A nationwide germplasm collection
exercise in February 2018 provided the opportunity to collect indigenous
technical knowledge (ITK) of the diversity of cassava varieties in terms of:
their morphology, growth characteristics,
uses (of tubers and leaves) and desirable characteristics. The objective is to
see to what extent the objectives of the plant breeders are consistent with
what farmers’ value. We performed 405 structured and semi-structured interviews
with informants who were selected based on “purposive household sampling”. We
found a considerable turn-over in cassava varieties, just over a third (45)
have been in cultivation for at least 40 years, however, since the end of the
civil war an additional 25 varieties are cultivated, while others varieties
seem to have disappeared. One major issue with estimating turnover of varieties
is whether the same variety might have several local names, and conversely the
same name may be applied to different cultivars. Farmers overwhelmingly use ITK
to select and preserve cassava germplasm for future use. Farmers have a clear
preference for: sweet taste, high yield, early maturity and easy cooking and
preferentially adopt cultivars that have those qualities. Cassava is primarily
a human food eaten boiled or fried, some are processed into fufu and gari, and uses
as livestock feed and medicine are reported but at low levels. The information
produced during this study could help plant breeders choose selection criteria
that will ensure their efforts are adopted and sustainable, the importance of
preserving the genetic resources of local cultivars is also highlighted.
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