Disease Resistant Cassava
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At his home in northern Uganda, Michael Okello arranges his cassava harvest,
untouched by viruses, in 2016.
[File Photo: Durrie Bouscaren, St. Louis Public Radio]
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Biotechnology Improved Cassava varieties developed resistant to major disease.
Known as manioc, tapioca, yuca or cassava, Manihot esculenta is a staple food for 800 million people in developing countries in tropical and subtropical Africa and the Americas. It is "the third most important source of calories in the tropics, after rice and maize". (Cassava: Why cassava? http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpc/gcds/). This vital crop is susceptible to a variety of diseases for which there are biotech solutions.
Cassava is a hardy plant that can be grown easily from cuttings. It can withstand drought and produce in poor soils, but is susceptible to a number of diseases, however, which can cause losses ranging from minor to total. Chief among these disease threats are cassava mosaic virus (CMV), which caused a major famine in Africa in the 1920s, (Virus ravages cassava plants in Africa, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/science/01cassava.html) The New York Times. 31 May 2010) and brown streak virus (BSV). Annual losses to these viral diseases in Uganda alone are estimated at $60 million.
Biotech improved varieties resistant to these diseases, and varieties with improved nutrition and processing characteristics, have been under development for nearly two decades, but technical and political difficulties have kept them from reaching markets to date. (Developing GM super cassava for improved health and food security: future challenges in Africa, https://agricultureandfoodsecurity.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2048-7010-1-11).
But facts have begun to overtake unfounded fears, and successful field trials have now been conducted in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, with hopes for commercial availability of biotech varieties in the near future. In a further sign of progress, researchers have begun to apply gene editing techniques to crop improvement in cassava. (In a race to prevent hunger, Danforth researchers use CRISPR to gene-edit cassava, http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/race-prevent-hunger-danforth-research. ers-use-crispr-gene-edit-cassava#stream/0).
FURTHER READING:
Uganda harvest another successful GM cassava trial
http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp
Led by Nigeria, Africa opening door to genetically modified crop cultivation
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2017/03/06/led-nigeria-africa-gradually-opening-door-genetically-modified-crop-cultivation/
Kenyan researchers step up trials for genetically altered crops in bid to fight hunger
http://www.nation.co.ke/news/GM-crops-key-to-fighting-hunger/-/1056/3116238/-/tmf9nmz/-/index.html
Minister Defies Body as GM Cassava Field Trials Go Ahead in South Africa
https://acbio.org.za/minister-defies-gm-body-as-gm-cassava-field-trials-go-ahead-in-sa/
VIRCA Plus: Virus-resistant and nutritionally-enhanced cassava for Africa
https://www.danforthcenter.org/scientists-research/research-institutes/institute-for-international-crop-improvement/crop-improvement-projects/virca-plus
3 World Food Prize Laureates Call for Global Action to Save African Crops
https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/three-world-food-prize-laureates-call-for-global-action-to-save-african-crops-17451/
IFAD, AATF to boost 13, 000 farmers with cassava mechanisation programme
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/ifad-aatf-to-boost-13-000-farmers-with-cassava-mechanisation-programme/
St. Louis researchers hope genetically modified crops can prevent hunger in East Africa
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-researchers-hope-genetically-modified-crops-can-prevent-hunger-east-africa#stream/0
In Uganda, cassava is a staple in times of insecurity
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/uganda-cassava-staple-times-insecurity#stream/0
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