What is it about?
This research was undertaken to identify a concise list of phenotypic traits for routine characterisation and evaluation of cacao genetic resources to facilitate utilisation and breeding in cacao. The recommended, standardised list, published in 1981, is very long and time consuming to utilise. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the most taxonomically useful traits that can be used to effectively characterise cacao germplasm, based on a study of germplasm at the International Cocoa Genebank in Trinidad.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
The identification of a concise list of discriminative and informative phenotypic traits will facilitate and hasten the collection of important data on cacao genotypes so that breeders and other researchers can assess the identity, diversity, breeding potential and value of cacao germplasm collections and selections and utilise this information in breeding programmes to improve cacao planting material in terms of traits such as yield and seed size. This will redound to the benefit of farmers and users of cacao planting material and thus have significant economic and social benefits.
Perspectives
This research is fundamental to the improvement of cacao planting material and required since cacao has not yet benefitted from vast improvement to improve yield and agronomic traits.
Dr. Frances Louise Bekele
The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, TRINIDAD
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Numerical taxonomic studies on cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) in Trinidad, Euphytica, January 1994, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/bf00025608.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
