Development of high yielding early bulking cassava varieties for drought prone agro-ecology of Nigeria Olalekan Akinbo1, Emmanuel Okogbenin1, Clement Adebija2, Favour Ewa1, Eunice Ekaette1, Ugochukwu Ikeorgu1, Lydia Ezenwaka1, Kenneth Eluwa1, Chiedozie Egesi1, Martin Fregene3 1National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), PMB 7006, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria 2Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Kano Outstation, Kano State, Nigeria 3Donald Danforth Plant Centre, 975 North Warson Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63132, USA Abstract Cassava has been identified as hardy crop that can grow on low nutrient and poor soil with little water. Due to expanding dry agro-ecology and short rain for rain-fed agriculture in dry ecology, early bulking cassava has been recognised as an important character for variety in a drought prone agro-ecology. Five released varieties in Nigeria and 29 genotypes from Latin America germplasm were evaluated in Mirjibril Station, Kano State in Nigeria. Randomized complete block design was used with standard 6 X 6 plot size and 2 local checks (Dakata and Danwaru). In this trial we evaluated for the best early bulking varieties from both the local germplasm from Nigeria and others from the centre of origin. Here we show that TMS98/0505, AR38-8, CR14B-218, CR52A-1 have fresh root yield ranges from 20 ton ha-1 to 29 ton ha-1, dry root yield 3.8 ton ha-1 to 5.88 ton ha-1, dry matter content 50% to 61% and harvest index 0.43 to 0.59 in the dry ecology. This yield result will be confirmed further in the second year.