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Adapting clonally propagated crops to climatic changes: a global approach for taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)

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Abstract

Clonally propagated crop species are less adaptable to environmental changes than those propagating sexually. DNA studies have shown that in all countries where taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) has been introduced clonally its genetic base is narrow. As genetic variation is the most important source of adaptive potential, it appears interesting to attempt to increase genetic and phenotypic diversity to strengthen smallholders’ capacity to adapt to climatic changes. A global experiment, involving 14 countries from America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific was conducted to test this approach. Every country received a set of 50 indexed genotypes in vitro assembling significant genetic diversity. After on-station agronomic evaluation trials, the best genotypes were distributed to farmers for participatory on-farm evaluation. Results indicated that hybrids tolerant to taro leaf blight (TLB, Phytophthora colocasiae Raciborski), developed by Hawaii, Papua New Guinea and Samoa breeding programmes outperformed local cultivars in most locations. However, several elite cultivars from SE Asia, also tolerant to TLB, outperformed improved hybrids in four countries and in one country none of the introductions performed better than the local cultivars. Introduced genotypes were successfully crossed (controlled crossing) with local cultivars and new hybrids were produced. For the first time in the history of Aroids research, seeds were exchanged internationally injecting tremendous allelic diversity in different countries. If climatic changes are going to cause the problems envisaged, then breeding crops with wide genetic diversity appears to be an appropriate approach to overcome the disasters that will otherwise ensue.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the Europe-Aid project “Adapting clonally propagated crops to climatic and commercial changes” (Grant No. DCI-FOOD/2010/230-267 SPC). Thanks are due to the 14 different countries technicians working on research stations and to farmers and their families for their enthusiastic contribution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR AGAP, CIRAD, PO Box 946, Port-Vila, Vanuatu

    V. Lebot

  2. SPC, Suva Regional Office, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji

    V. Tuia

  3. University of Maribor, Pivola 10, 2311, Hoče, Slovenia

    A. Ivancic

  4. PestNet, Sydney, NSW, 2022, Australia

    G. V. H. Jackson

  5. Centro de Investigaciones Agronómicas, University of San José, San José, Costa Rica

    F. Saborio

  6. University of Managua, PO Box 453, Managua, Nicaragua

    G. Reyes

  7. INIVIT, Apartado 6, Santo Domingo, 53000, Santa Clara, Cuba

    S. Rodriguez

  8. CARDI, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago

    G. Robin

  9. Université de Ouagadougou, 03 BP 7021, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

    R. Traoré

  10. Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, CSIR, PO Box 7, Bunso, Ghana

    L. Aboagye

  11. NRCRI, Umudike, Umuahia, PMB 7006, Abia State, Nigeria

    J. Onyeka

  12. ARC, Roodeplaat, Privet Bag X293, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    W. van Rensburg

  13. FOFIFA-CENRADERU, Antananarivo, Madagascar

    V. Andrianavalona

  14. CTCRI, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695 017, India

    A. Mukherjee

  15. LIPI, Cibinong km 42, Bogor, Java, Indonesia

    M. S. Prana

  16. Visayas State College of Agriculture, PhilRootCrops, 6251-A, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines

    D. Ferraren

  17. NARI, PO Box 4415, Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea

    B. Komolong

  18. VARTC, PO Box 231, Luganville, Santo, Vanuatu

    F. Lawac

  19. DSMZ, Leipzig, Messeweg 11/12, 38104, Braunschweig, Germany

    S. Winter

  20. IsoPlexis Genebank, University of Madeira, 9000-390, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

    M. A. A. Pinheiro de Carvalho

  21. SPC, Alafua Campus, Apia, Samoa

    T. Iosefa

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  1. V. Lebot
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  2. V. Tuia
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  3. A. Ivancic
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  4. G. V. H. Jackson
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  5. F. Saborio
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  6. G. Reyes
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  7. S. Rodriguez
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  8. G. Robin
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  9. R. Traoré
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  10. L. Aboagye
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  11. J. Onyeka
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  12. W. van Rensburg
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  13. V. Andrianavalona
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  14. A. Mukherjee
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  15. M. S. Prana
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  16. D. Ferraren
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  17. B. Komolong
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  18. F. Lawac
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  19. S. Winter
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  20. M. A. A. Pinheiro de Carvalho
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  21. T. Iosefa
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Correspondence to V. Lebot.

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Lebot, V., Tuia, V., Ivancic, A. et al. Adapting clonally propagated crops to climatic changes: a global approach for taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott). Genet Resour Crop Evol 65, 591–606 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-017-0557-6

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