a.s.l. From planting to harvesting, mean rainfall and temperature range were respectively 1121 mm and 16.7–28.7 °C at Namulonge, 1095 mm and 17.3–29.2 °C at Jinja, and 424 mm and 18.5–29.4 °C at Nakasongola. Twelve genotypes (Table 1) were sourced from farmers’ fields and from the National Cassava Breeding Programme (NCBP) at the National Crops Resources Research Institute, Namulonge. Genotypes from farmers’ click here fields were landraces, while genotypes from the NCBP were introductions from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and genotypes developed

by crossing cassava lines from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) with lines from Uganda. Selection of the genotypes was based on their performance for storage root yield, early bulking and relative degrees of field resistance to two diseases prevalent in Uganda: cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD). The trial at each location

was laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. Healthy stem cuttings each 25 cm in length were horizontally planted in a flat seedbed at a spacing of 1 m × 1 m giving a population density of 10,000 plants ha− 1. Each plot measured 2 m × 6 m, comprising 3 rows of 6 plants each. The first and last rows and the first and last plant within the middle row of each plot were considered as border plants. The plots and blocks were separated by 2.0 m and 2.5 m Selleck BMN 673 alleys, to reduce inter-plot and inter-block plant competition, respectively. The trials were conducted without supplemental irrigation and weeded regularly. Data for the following traits were collected from a net plot of four randomly selected and hand-uprooted plants of each genotype: storage root number (SRN); storage root mass (SRM); FSRY and cassava brown streak disease root necrosis (CBSD-RN). Cassava mosaic disease severity (CMD-S) was assessed during the crop growth at 6 MAP on an increasing scale of 1–5, where: 1 = no symptoms;

and 5 = severe mosaic symptoms [16]. Storage roots of the four plants were bulked, counted and weighed IMP dehydrogenase to obtain SRN and SRM (kg), respectively. The FSRY (t ha− 1) per genotype was then estimated from the SRM of the four-plant bulk of storage roots as: FSRY=(SRM×10,000)/(4×1000).FSRY=SRM×10,000/4×1000. Storage root necrosis due to CBSD (CBSD-RN) was scored on an increasing scale of 1 to 5 where 1 = no visible necrosis, and 5 = severe necrosis [17]. The data for each location were first analysed independently and then the error variances for the environments were tested for homogeneity using Hartley’s Fmax test [18]. The differences were non-significant, and accordingly an unweighted combined AMMI analysis of variance was conducted across the locations. Correlations among various plant parameters were calculated as Spearman correlation coefficients [19].