Avocado germplasm conservation and improvement in Ghana
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Date
2011
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Abstract
Avocado research and improvement in Ghana has the potential of contributing to the agricultural export diversification programme. Genetic diversity exits with the potential for improved yield of landraces. Notwithstanding, efforts to conserve, introduce, evaluate, characterize, select and improve on these local landraces and introductions to widen the genetic base has been inadequate. The objectives of these studies were to; 1) collect both local and leading world avocado varieties and establish them in a museum, 2) conserve, characterise and select desirable genotypes 3) multiply selected genotypes by vegetative propagation and release to farmers and 4) in addition use detailed trait characteristics of genotypes in the museum for varietal improvement and other agronomic purposes. Twenty five (25) local landraces collected from different ecozones of Ghana and five (5) world leading varieties obtained from South Africa have been established in a germplasm museum at the University of Ghana Agricultural Research Centre – Kade in Ghana. The five exportable varieties are ‘Hass’, ‘Fuerte’, ‘Ryan’, ‘Ettinger’ and ‘Nabal’ Morphological characterization of the germplasm using the plant descriptors outlined in the IPGRI publication, Descriptors for Avocado (Persea spp.) have been described. Research in other areas of this program focusing on nutrient management, pest and disease incidence is also in progress
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Keywords
Conservation, improvement, genetic diversity, landraces, exportable varieties, physiological activities
Citation
VII World Avocado Congress Proceedings, pp 632-640