N.M.A. Nassar, C.S. Vizzotto, C.A. Schwartz, O.R. Pires Júnior
Published: March 22, 2007
Genet. Mol. Res. 6 (1) : 116-121
Cite this Article:
N.M.A. Nassar, C.S. Vizzotto, C.A. Schwartz, O.R.Pires Júnior (2007). Cassava diversity in Brazil: the case of carotenoid-rich landraces. Genet. Mol. Res. 6(1): 116-121.
About the Authors
N.M.A. Nassar, C.S. Vizzotto, C.A. Schwartz, O.R. Pires Júnior
Corresponding author
Nagib Nassar
E-mail: nagnassa@rudah.com.br
ABSTRACT
In Brazil, the center of cassava origin, cassava landraces have acquired through their domestication a large diversity in relation to many economic traits such as high content of carotenoids and excellent palatability among other characters. One of these clones, which has been grown by indigenous Brazilian farmers and is now being maintained in the University of Brasília gene bank, showed a high level of lycopene content (5 mg/kg viz. a viz. zero in common cultivars, and 12-20 mg/kg in tomato, a lycopene-rich vegetable). A second landrace called UnB 400 had a high content of b-carotene, which reached 4 mg/kg.
Key words: Selection, Center of diversity, Landraces, Mutation accumulation, Carotenoids.