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Towards an Enhanced Breeding in Cocoyam: A Review of Past and Future Research Perspectives

Jude Ejikeme Obidiegwu, Presidor Kendabie, Oscar Obidiegwu and Charles Amadi

Cocoyams (Taro and Tannia) are important food crop in the tropical world. Beyond their food and nutritious values, they have cultural, religious and social meanings which vary within cultures. As with most tropical underutilized crops, cocoyam is affected by biotic and abiotic stresses resulting to low yield. In addition, limited genetic advancement in post-harvest and organoleptic properties is visible. While significant breeding gains have been made in the past, knowledge gaps exist in respect to flowering, genetics, cytogenetics and options for hybridization that could accelerate crop improvement. This review presents a concise but timely effort to explore these breeding limitations while highlighting solutions to overcome these challenges. The wider implication of this review is accelerated breeding and crop improvement.