Cassava is a staple crop for more than 500 million people worldwide, mainly in developing tropical countries. In 2019, among the 304 million tons of global cassava production, 63% was produced in Africa, and 45% in low-income, food-deficit countries. Thus, cassava is considered one of the high-priority staple crops which helps contribute to reducing world hunger and poverty.
Cassava is a clonally propagated crop. Compared to other staple crops, cassava has lagged in even basic scientific study, especially in genetics and genomics. However, recent advancements in genomics and quantitative genetics have accelerated and broadened cassava research to focus on: understanding agronomic and quality traits; the development of innovations that address pollination obstacles; optimizing breeding schemes; gene editing, and implementing genomics-assisted breeding.
However, these scientific breakthroughs have only been attained in the past 10 years. This has been possible through partnerships that bridge research activities between the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARES). This research partnership has, in the end, enabled the attainment of significant milestones which include: a) the standardization of concepts for product design; b) the development of pre-breeding pipelines that focus on trait discovery and deployment; and c) the prioritization of selection strategies for progenitors and/or advancement of outstanding clones in early and/or late-stage breeding stages.
Genome sequencing and genotyping technologies have been developed and implemented to enhance cassava research and/or breeding efficiency. Gene editing has also been explored as a gateway for new traits of economic importance, and high-throughput phenotyping tools for economically important traits have been developed.
We aim to collate these aforementioned technologies, innovations, and management practices within this Research Topic. Such knowledge will form a solid foundation for cassava research modernization, which in turn will accelerate breeding and thus impact those communities relying on cassava. We welcome Original Research, Mini Review, Review, and/or Opinion articles on the following themes:
• Genetic architecture of economically important traits in cassava using association mapping or/and genetic mapping;
• Cassava genetic diversity and trait discovery;
• Genomics-assisted cassava breeding and/or marker validation;
• Application of gene editing in trait development and deployment;
• High-throughput phenotyping to increase selection efficiency;
• Cassava breeding modernization based on quantitative genetic theory and/or simulations;
• New insights in physiology and metabolomics of yield and starch formation;
• Innovations that enhance flowering and seed set;
• Participatory variety selection trials with a focus on the TRICOT approach;
• Selection methods and genetic gain assessments;
• Cassava variety adoption studies based on DNA markers;
• PhenoApps and their application in cassava research.
Descriptive studies e.g. those that report responses of growth, yield, or quality to agronomical treatments will not be considered if they do not progress physiological understanding of these responses. Articles on crop storage, transportation and usage, and cropping systems, do not fall within the scope of this section.
Cassava is a staple crop for more than 500 million people worldwide, mainly in developing tropical countries. In 2019, among the 304 million tons of global cassava production, 63% was produced in Africa, and 45% in low-income, food-deficit countries. Thus, cassava is considered one of the high-priority staple crops which helps contribute to reducing world hunger and poverty.
Cassava is a clonally propagated crop. Compared to other staple crops, cassava has lagged in even basic scientific study, especially in genetics and genomics. However, recent advancements in genomics and quantitative genetics have accelerated and broadened cassava research to focus on: understanding agronomic and quality traits; the development of innovations that address pollination obstacles; optimizing breeding schemes; gene editing, and implementing genomics-assisted breeding.
However, these scientific breakthroughs have only been attained in the past 10 years. This has been possible through partnerships that bridge research activities between the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARES). This research partnership has, in the end, enabled the attainment of significant milestones which include: a) the standardization of concepts for product design; b) the development of pre-breeding pipelines that focus on trait discovery and deployment; and c) the prioritization of selection strategies for progenitors and/or advancement of outstanding clones in early and/or late-stage breeding stages.
Genome sequencing and genotyping technologies have been developed and implemented to enhance cassava research and/or breeding efficiency. Gene editing has also been explored as a gateway for new traits of economic importance, and high-throughput phenotyping tools for economically important traits have been developed.
We aim to collate these aforementioned technologies, innovations, and management practices within this Research Topic. Such knowledge will form a solid foundation for cassava research modernization, which in turn will accelerate breeding and thus impact those communities relying on cassava. We welcome Original Research, Mini Review, Review, and/or Opinion articles on the following themes:
• Genetic architecture of economically important traits in cassava using association mapping or/and genetic mapping;
• Cassava genetic diversity and trait discovery;
• Genomics-assisted cassava breeding and/or marker validation;
• Application of gene editing in trait development and deployment;
• High-throughput phenotyping to increase selection efficiency;
• Cassava breeding modernization based on quantitative genetic theory and/or simulations;
• New insights in physiology and metabolomics of yield and starch formation;
• Innovations that enhance flowering and seed set;
• Participatory variety selection trials with a focus on the TRICOT approach;
• Selection methods and genetic gain assessments;
• Cassava variety adoption studies based on DNA markers;
• PhenoApps and their application in cassava research.
Descriptive studies e.g. those that report responses of growth, yield, or quality to agronomical treatments will not be considered if they do not progress physiological understanding of these responses. Articles on crop storage, transportation and usage, and cropping systems, do not fall within the scope of this section.