Germplasm Collection
Cassava
The cassava genetic resources now maintained in a field genebank have reached to 298 accessions from the previous 335. Reduction of the number of accessions was due to typhoon Yolanda. Six cultivars were collected from official trips of breeding staff to various places in the country. Thus, the total PhilRootcrops cassava germplasm collection accessions now stands at 304 accessions.
Sweetpotato
A base line of 969 sp accessions were maintained in the PhilRootcrop germplasm area. 30 accessions were used as parents in polycross breeding nursery. About 90% of sweetpotato accessions in the germaplasm were already characterized and photo documented for vegetative parts.
Recommended sweetpotato varieties such as PSB SP 17, NSIC SP 25 and NSIC SP 30 were propagated in a bigger area for mass production of planting materials. Other sweetpotato varieties were maintained and propagated in the germplasm area.
Yam
One (1) additional yam accession (D. hispida) on one hand and loss of 3 accessions on the other, the yam germplasm collection now stands at 370 accessions of 6 yam species. Greater yam or ubi (Dioscorea alata) has 240 accessions, lesser yam or tugui (Dioscorea esculenta) 78 accessions, intoxicating yam or name (Dioscorea hispida) 21 accessions, aerial yam or abobo (Dioscorea bulbifera) 18 accessions, lima – lima (Dioscorea pentaphylla) 1 accession, and African yam (Dioscorea rotundata) 12 accessions.
Overall, the characterization of local yam species is now about 99.9% complete
Taro
There are a total of 467 species and number of accessions held in the Aroid and minor rootcrop germplasm. 368 of which is from Taro which also includes the accessions from the EU Taro project.