SANTA CLARA.—Professionals from the National Tropical Root Vegetable Research Institute (INIVIT) are generating varieties of cassava, sweet potato, taro and plantain designed to withstand climatic variations.
These varieties require less water and are more resistant to pests, among other qualities.
INIVIT Director Sergio Rodríguez Morales told the Cuban News Agency that work in this field began in the late 1990s.
The specialist explained that climate change greatly affects vegetable crops, noting that an increase of just one degree Celsius in the maximum average temperature causes a 10% reduction in agricultural yields.
Various varieties of root vegetables that can tolerate drought and the effects of hurricanes are currently being grown in Cuban fields. In all cases, campesinos have reported high crop yields, he added.
Among these, he mentioned the Inivit PV 06 30 plantain variety, producing a shorter tree which is less damaged by hurricane force winds, and has seen higher yields than traditional varieties of this crop.
Rodríguez Morales also noted the modification of cassava to produce smaller plants, including the Inivit 93-4 variety, with a height 40 centimeters below traditional crops.
Víctor Mederos, INIVIT biotechnology director, explained that in vitro technology has been used to produce sweet potato seeds which are more adaptable to adverse weather conditions.
He noted that this is a particularly demanding root vegetable in terms of humidity, soil quality and environmental conditions, hence the scientific impact of this achievement.
He recalled that Cuba has been producing modified varieties of sweet potato for some years, including the Inivit B 65-2013, which is used for both human and animal consumption.
The genetic design of this variety allows it to grow with minimal water consumption, using only the moisture provided by rainfall, providing up to ten tons per hectare, which is acceptable under the conditions.
He also reported that the Inivit BS 16 variety has already been made available, a sweet potato which is high in vitamin A and resistant to sweet potato weevil, the pest that causes the most damage to this crop.
The INIVIT bio-factory creates between 35,000 – 53,000 seedlings each year, designed according to the island’s agricultural production needs, and in accordance with the peculiarities of each region. (ACN)
