| Summary: | Spontaneous sexual and asexual polyploids occur in cassava. The cassava polyploid breeding strategies using these polyploidization processes are discussed. Sexual polyploidization has advantages over asexual polyploidization in terms of viability of gametes, heterosis, vigor, plant architecture, and productivity of the crop. Many clones of polyploid cassava have been developed at IITA through bilateral and unilateral polyploidization. Some of the polyploids were very vigorous. Several tetraploids performed as well as the best improved varieties and some triploids outyielded, by over 200%, the best improved varieties, indicating that triploids are more promising than tetraploids.
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