Correlated resistance of cassava to mosaic and bacterial blight diseases

Summary The two most serious diseases of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) are cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava bacterial blight (CBB) (Xanthomonas manihotis Starr). Clone 58308, derived from the third backcross of the interspecific cross of cassava (M. esculenta) x ceara rubber (M. glaziovii), showed a high level of resistance to both diseases. Crosses of 58308 with several other clones which varied from susceptible to moderately susceptible to both diseases gave progenies with a significant genotypic correlation between resistance to both diseases (r=0.90), apparently due to linkage. The heritabilities of resistance to the diseases were estimated at 50–70% for CMD and 25–65% for CBB. Resistance to both diseases is assumed to be polygenic. The correlated response to selection for CMD and for CBB was estimated.