Nigeria is the world’s leading cassava producer and consumer, but yields are often decimated by the cassava mosaic disease (CMD) as well as other diseases. CMD alone routinely reduces cassava production by as much as 90 percent. But there is now hope.
A new disease-tolerant cassava variety released in Nigeria could help to dramatically improve production of one of the country’s most important staple food crops.
The release follows a decade of collaboration in cassava research involving the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Nigeria’s National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI), with initial funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and later the CGIAR’s Generation Challenge Programme (GCP).
Dubbed UMUCASS33, this new variety brings together the best from South American cassava provided by CIAT, and African cassava developed from material obtained from IITA. South American cassava has a higher nutritional content than African cassava, while African varieties tend to be more resilient to pests, disease and harsh environments. The end result of this happy marriage is higher yields and tolerance to acid soils courtesy of the South American parentage, and CMD-resistance from the African side of the family tree.
Besides bringing higher yields and greater disease resistance, UMUCASS33 also broadens the genetic diversity of African cassava. “Diversity studies on cassava in Africa revealed that the genetic base is very narrow, meaning cassava can easily succumb to disease en masse,” says Dr Chiedozie Egesi, plant breeder and molecular geneticist at NCRCI.
Dr Xavier Delannay, GCP’s Leader for Integrated crop breeding and manager of the Cassava Research Initiative said, “This is a first great example of a practical application of marker technology in cassava for the selection of important new traits, and it bodes well for the future as markers get fully integrated into cassava breeding.”
Find out more in the full story “Disease-resistant cassava released in Nigeria“.
Photo credit: Neil Palmer (CIAT)
This is a noble achievement and it is an indication that better things are on the way.
Indeed, better things are on the way. To stay connected with the ongoing work in the cassava community, please tune in to discussions at this link (beta version) https://www.integratedbreeding.net/community/cassava