NIRS Database on intact fresh cassava using portable device for starch at NRCRI, Nigeria

Cassava breeders aim at producing many clones rapidly with desired nutritional and agronomic traits. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a physical detection method that was developed in recent decades. This technique is based on the correlation between chemical properties and the absorption of light at specific wavelengths in the near-infrared region. A rapid and accurate method for determining starch yield of cassava root will be valuable and help the breeders in selecting clones with good traits from a large population in breeding programmes. This data base contain the spectra of fresh intact cassava genotypes harvested at NRCRI, Umudike, Nigeria (between August and September 2020) with the use of Portable/handheld NIRS (Quality SpecTrek). A total number of 3168 spectra were acquired from 176 (one hundred and seventy six) clones of fresh intact cassava roots for determining starch yield of the fresh cassava roots. Three different sizes of cassava roots (big, medium and small sized) were cut in horizontal positions C1(proximal), C3(central), C5(distal). Calibration model developed for the starch yield showed the mean and standard deviation to be 20.39 and 3.80 respectively with the standard error of laboratory at 0.89. An SOP on the protocol for the determination of starch yield on fresh intact cassava root using a handheld NIRS has been linked to this database. The ASD hand-held NIRS was acquired by NRCRI (National Root Crops Research Institute) Umudike Nigeria in the year 2016.