Shoot tips and nodal segments excised from in vitro Manihot esculenta cultivar. were seeded singly into culture tubes containing 15ml of cassava multiplication medium gelled differently in 0.2% gelrite (Control I), 0.7% agar (control II) and in 7% starch from three different cassava varieties viz: TMS 97/0162, 92/0323, and TME 419 Cultures were maintained at 28°C ± 2 illumination and 16h photoperiod (30–40μmole m−2 S−1) supplied by white fluorescent tubes on shelves for four weeks. Percentage survival ranged from 90–100% for shoot tips while nodal segments ranged from 42.86–100%. Plantlets from gelrite –gelled medium performed best in terms the height, number of leaves and nodes, it was not significantly different (p<0.05) from those of TME 419 starch- gelled medium especially with the shoot tip explants. The result highlights the potentials of cassava starch from the genotype TME 419, as an alternative to agar or gelrite as a gelling agent for in vitro multiplication of cassava.
Cassava starch, Manihot esculenta, in vitro multiplivation, shoot tips, nodal segment
