Crossing possibility for breeding promising orange-fleshed sweetpotato genotypes in Benin.

Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) is a sustainable and inexpensive source of vitamin A that contributes to food and nutritional security in developing countries. Its adoption is low due to unconformity of the variety with community food culture, limited cultivar selection and breeding studies. The current study aimed at breeding of promising OFSP genotypes in Benin using three parental lines. Two hundred and seventy-four seeds and one hundred and six genotypes were obtained through biparental crosses of Tio-joe (imported orange-fleshed variety), Vobodouaho (local white-fleshed variety) and ACAB220 (local orange-fleshed variety). The phenotypic diversity of genotypes was assessed using 10 leaf characters and storage root flesh colour through multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The results indicated cross-compatibility between Tio-joe and ACAB220 when ACAB220 was used as female. Reciprocal cross-compatibility was found between ACAB220 and Vobodouaho. The genotypes could be separated into two main populations and classified into five cluster groups. Promising intermediate and pale orange genotypes were obtained indicating possibilities to incorporate beta-carotene into the white background of the Vobodouaho variety through further backcrossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]