Characterization of the Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Germplasm in Sierra Leone Based on Agro-Morphological and Culinary Traits

The dearth of information on the extent of genetic variability in cassava limits the genetic improvement of cassava in Sierra Leone. This study aimed at assessing the genetic variability and relationships within 103 cassava genotypes using agro-morphological and culinary markers. A field trial was conducted in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences research site. The experiment was laid out in an augmented randomized block design. Morphological classification based on qualitative and quantitative traits categorized the germplasm into three different groups. A total of ten principal components (PCs) in the qualitative and six PCs in the quantitative trait sets accounted for 66.74% and 67.27% of the total genetic variation, respectively. Traits with significantly strong and positive correlations included presence of fruit (PFRT) and presence of seeds (PSE) (r = 0.86 ***), root yield per plant (RYPP) and number of storage roots (NSR) (r = 0.76 ***), RYPP and number of commercial roots (NCR) (r = 0.68 ***), length of leaf lobes (LLL) and width of leaf lobes (WLL) (r = 0.66 ***), and between NSR and NCR (r = 0.84 ***). The cooking time, cooking percentage, texture, mealiness, taste, and aroma varied widely among the accessions. The findings established that the cassava germplasm possesses useful genetic variability that could be exploited through selection for short-term release programs, genetic conservation of the valuable germplasm, and genetic improvement of the crop.