New disease-resistant cassava variety developed in Kenya

Just like the Philippines, cassava is a staple food in Kenya, a country in eastern Africa. Cassava performs well in the country’s relatively dry climate, where up to 80 per cent of the land receives a small amount of rain each year. It is considered the second most important food crop next to corn, so much so that when diseases strike, the country’s food supply chain is greatly affected. The common Cassava diseases affecting farms in Kenya are the Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), often destroying or shrinking the roots and leaves of the cassava. When affected by these diseases, the marketability of the crops is reduced by up to 100 per cent in severe cases. To mitigate the impacts of the diseases, researchers at Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) have cultivated and tested several varieties of cassava across diverse locations in Kenya since 2011. In June 2021, the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) of Kenya approved ...