Cassava international transit site on La Réunion
Located in the Indian Ocean, Réunion Island is relatively isolated. Sanitary conditions are exceptional for growing and studying cassava because no known cassava virus diseases (especially CMD and CBSD) are present and the incidence of other diseases such as CBB caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis remains very low. These favorable factors, together with the presence of the Plant Protection Center's infrastructure and human skills, make La Réunion ideal for developing an international transit site of healthy plant material and so facilitate international exchange of disease-free cassava material in the near future. CIRAD's Bassin Plat and Ligne Paradis experimental stations have more than 10 ha of experimental fields and 4,600 m2 of insect- proof tunnels or greenhouses. The Ligne Paradis station hosts the Plant Protection Center (Fig. 2A, G), where research in plant pathology and plant genetics is carried out. The 3P Center contains an in-vitro culture laboratory and a staff qualified to carry out plant sanitation programs. Previous similar work was conducted on local varieties of garlic for which two potyviruses, Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV) and Leak yellow streak virus (LYSV), were eliminated by in-vitro meristem-tip culture. Two varieties have been cleaned and recorded in the French official catalog of varieties and a production of certified seed has been implemented. Similarly, a local variety of passion fruit contaminated by a potyvirus (Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus; CABMV) was successfully sanitized using a technique of in-vivo shoot-tip grafting. In recent years, CIRAD has acquired significant experience in the management of plant genetic resources. In 2008, a Biological Resources Centre (BRC) was established within the Plant Protection Center. The BRC is committed to a quality standard according to the French standard AFNOR NF S 96- 900. The BRC holds three collections: 1) Vanilla, unique in the world, with about one third of the global diversity 2) Short-day tropical garlic of local and regional interest. 3) “Under-utilized vegetables” of local and regional interest, including a sub-cassava collection consisting of 13 landraces and seven hybrids. On Mayotte, a French island in the Mozambican channel, CIRAD also manages a collection of 17 cassava landraces, representative of the local diversity.
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| Format: | conference_item biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
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GCP21
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| Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/602572/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/602572/1/ID602572.pdf |
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