The collection of the genus Manihot Mill conserved in the in vitro conservation laboratory of the Genetic Resources Program of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is considered the most important worldwide for the number of conserved accessions, the genetic diversity and the geographic area represented.
A total of 6.592 accessions from 28 countries, represented in 5.709 clones of M. esculenta and 883 genotypes of wild species are conserved using in vitro techniques for its conservation and safe distribution.
The zones of origin and high diversity for cassava are reflected in a high percentage in the collection. Materials of Colombia (37.7%) and Brazil (24.1%) are widely represented. Collections from other South American countries (21.2%), to a lower proportion material from Central America and the Caribbean (7.2%), Asia (7.1%) and others (2.5%) are also conserved.
A total of 883 genotypes corresponding to 33 of the 98 wild species reported for the genus are conserved. Many of these species show characteristics of interest for breeding programs because they are potential sources of variability lacking in the cultivated species.
These materials have been designated to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) under the FAO-CGIAR agreement and are registered in the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-Sharing of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources.
The distribution of these materials is possible thanks to the cleaning process and diagnosis of viruses and diseases which guarantee that materials are free of the three viruses of quarantine importance: the Cassava Common Mosaic Virus (CsCMV), Cassava virus X (CsXV) and frog skin disease (FSD).