In competition trials of cassava cultivars (Manihot esculenta, Crantz), carried out in the Paraíba River Valley on a tertiary soil, the new cultivar 'Mantiqueira' created by the Instituto Agronômico showed to be superior to the others. This cultivar presented precocious initial shoots, high productivity, roots excellent in quality and type, facility in harvesting, straight stand, which makes the cultural treatments easy, an apparent resistance to the root rotting and bacteriosis caused by Xanthomonas manihotis(Arthaud-Berthet) Starr, rusticity and tolerance to droughts. It also was free of virus-induced mosaic.