Determination of Cyanide Content in Three Sweet Cassava Cultivars in Three Local Government Areas of Benue State, Nigeria

The cyanide content of the parenchyma (pulp) of three sweet cassava cultivars: Alhaji (Tropical Manihot Selection; TMS 98/0581), Ochengbila (Tropical Manihot Selection; TMS 98/0505), and Onono (Tropical Manihot Selection; TMS 98/0524) from three local government areas of Benue State were studied. Their contents were: TMS 98/0581 mg/kg, TMS 98/0505 mg/kg and TMS 98/0524 mg/kg for all the local government areas. For the peels, it ranged from (63.41-108.96) mg/kg for all cultivars. The cyanide content of the cultivars varies from one local government to another and also from one farm to another. No appreciable loss of cyanide was observed after four days of storage. The cyanide content of boiled and roasted cassava parenchyma was (5.26-7.85) mg/kg and (9.73-10.55) mg/kg respectively for all the cultivars. Air dried parenchyma at (26 degrees Celsius -2 degrees Celsius for one week and oven dried parenchyma at 60 degrees Celsius for four hours ranged from (16.05-18.83) mg/kg and (21.82-24.04) mg/kg, respectively for all cultivars.