Advances in Genetic Analysis and Breeding of Cassava ( Crantz): A Review

Overview

Journal Plants (Basel)

Date 2022 Jun 23

PMID 35736768

Authors

Assefa B Amelework

Michael W Bairu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cassava ( Crantz) is the sixth most important food crop and consumed by 800 million people worldwide. In Africa, cassava is the second most important food crop after maize and Africa is the worlds' largest producer. Though cassava is not one of the main commodity crops in South Africa, it is becoming a popular crop among farming communities in frost-free areas, due to its climate-resilient nature. This necessitated the establishment of a multi-disciplinary research program at the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa. The objective of this review is to highlight progress made in cassava breeding and genetic analysis. This review highlights the progress of cassava research worldwide and discusses research findings on yield, quality, and adaptability traits in cassava. It also discusses the limitations and the prospects of the cassava R&D program towards development of the cassava industry in South Africa.

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