Abstract

The intensive selection programme at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has resulted in the release of a promising strain. Co. 1 Tapioca. The salient features of the strain are (1) shorter duration of 8 to 9 months. (2) the high starch content of tubers with 35 per cent giving total out turn of 10.33 tonnes of starch per hectare. (3) An average yield of 29.97 tonnes of tubers per hectare with a range of 29.90 to 36.50 tonnes. The mean increase in yield over local is by 16.2 per cent. The yield could be increased by 20.1 per cent by closer spacing of 75 x 75 cm than the normal spacing of 75 x 90 cm. (4) the clone records very low incidence of mosaic virus ranging from 0 to 8 per cent when compared to 40 to 100 per cent in other clones, and (5) the HCN content of tubers is very low compared to other clones and hybrids i. e.. 10 Pala in the flesh and 185 g/g in the rind.

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