Root and Tuber germplasm collections at Bunso in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Study Extent

Sampling for the data is done based ecological zones across the country. The expedition team at each location collects samples within a sampling distance of 20km apart. The frequency of data collected is an annual routine programme by the institute. However, the collections are also subject to the availability of funds.

Sampling

The five root and tuber germplasm (Cassava, Cocoyam, Sweet potato, Taro, Yam) were collected from 29th November 1966 to 12th December 2015. The collections were carried out in seven regions namely: Greater Accra Region, Eastern, Volta, Central, Western, Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti Regions. The root and tuber crops were collected by CSIR-Crop Research Institute, CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute and International Institute of Tropical Africa. The Root and tuber database were created from the CSIR-PGRRI Passport database and sorted from “Araceae, Convolvulaceae, Dioscoreaceae, and Euphorbiaceae” families. Samples of specimen were collected from; farm store, market, garden, fields, institution, backyards, near refuse dumps, river banks and forest areas. Material types collected were stem, tubers, vegetative parts, seed yam, plantlets and corms.

Quality Control

DecimalLatitude and decimalLongitude of germplasm collected for the various locations were georeferenced using the georeferencing guidelines. Nomenclature was corrected using the global name resolver and their sources verified either under the GBIF backbone or Catelogue of Life.

Method steps

1. Data is collected based on ecological zones and covers the whole country. Sampling is done randomly and at a distance of 20km part. To get a holistic view of species and their uses, samples are collected from a wide range of locations not limited to only farms and the wild (also identified as field in this dataset) but from gardens, market places and farm stores. The samples are then preserved as tissue culture or planted as living specimen at the institute's research plots for future propagation.

The dataset are of the Kingdom Plantae and Phylum Tracheophyta. These are represented by 2 classes Liliopsida and Magnoliopsida. 4 orders: Solanales (sweet potato), Malpighiales (cassava), Alismatales (taro and cocoyam) and Dioscoreales (yam) and 4 families: Convolvulaceae (sweet potato),Euphorbiaceae (cassava),Araceae (taro and cocoyam) and Dioscoreaceae (yam).5 species are represented in the dataset.

1. Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott
   common name: Taro rank: species
2. Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.
   common name: Sweet Potato rank: species
3. Manihot esculenta Crantz
   common name: Cassava rank: species
4. Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott
   common name: Cocoyam rank: species
5. Dioscorea sp.
   common name: Yam rank: species

The dataset were collected from across the 10 regions of Ghana during specimen collection expeditions from 1966-2015.However, the dataset published in this document is from 1975-2015. The specimen samples collected are stored as tisue culture germplasm at the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute(CSIR-PGRRI) located at Bunso in the East Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana.The PGRRI is located close to the Linda Dor Restaurant on Accra - Kumasi highway and lies within decimal latitude and longitude 6.289405 and 0.467556 respectively.