How SAH tripled cassava seed multiplication in Rwanda
IITA introduced Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) at the RAB Rubona station to increase multiplication rates while improving the quality and survival of tissue-culture-derived cassava plantlets.
- breeding
- smallholder farmers
- Products
- breeding for tomorrow
IITA introduced Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) at the RAB Rubona station to increase multiplication rates while improving the quality and survival of tissue-culture-derived cassava plantlets. The technology has provided a faster, more efficient approach to multiplying clean planting materials within a relatively small space and a short period. Since its introduction in Rwanda in 2019, SAH has revolutionized cassava seed multiplication by enabling the national seed system to produce up to three times as much clean cassava planting material.
This increased capacity is important for the young cassava seed system in Rwanda, where access to sufficient quantities of healthy planting material is essential for farmers to grow productive crops. Cassava is particularly vulnerable to the accumulation and spread of viral diseases through vegetative planting materials, making the availability of clean seed critical to maintaining crop health.