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CIAT scientists are developing new cassava varieties that
will enable smallholder farmers in Thailand to produce more
revenue. A five-year collaboration with Bangkok-based Thai
Tapioca Development Institute (TTDI) aims to adapt cassava
to growing conditions in Thailand while optimizing its marketability.
Cassava, also referred to as 'tapioca' or the 'poor man's
crop,' thrives in poor, sandy soils and has high resistance
to pests and diseases. Endemic to Brazil, it is currently
grown by some 500 million people in tropical Asia, Africa,
and Latin America, where it is used for food and also sold
as starch, animal feed, and, recently, bio-ethanol.
In Southeast Asia, cassava is the third most important food
crop after rice and maize and its growing industrial importance
makes investment in agriculture research even more crucial.
Yet, in contrast to rice and maize, cassava is relatively
unimportant to global markets and it therefore receives little
attention from the scientific community at large. CIAT and
TTDI work to fill this research gap by developing and facilitating
the adoption of new cassava varieties and agronomic techniques
for the benefit of farming communities.
CIAT's recent work with partners in Thailand, the world's
second largest producer of cassava and largest exporter of
cassava products, has led to a net gain in production in spite
of a 40% reduction in cassava-growing area. From 1994 to 2006,
average yields increased by 53% (from 14 tons to 21 tons per
hectare) in Thailand, where 98% of cassava planted consists
of varieties developed from CIAT germplasm. The partnership
with TTDI will expand on these successes by combining CIAT's
extensive library of genetic resources with TTDI's experience
working with farmers to implement research results.
CIAT and TTDI will work together to develop cassava varieties
with variable starch qualities in order to better adapt the
crop to specific uses and requirements as dictated by environment,
market, and nutrition needs. CIAT will provide human resources
and technical support to TTDI to develop high-productivity
waxy-starch varieties of cassava that are suited to growing
conditions in Thailand.
In March 2008, CIAT scientists began crossing the waxy-starch
cassava with various Thai varieties in order to integrate
the desired traits and produce viable germplasm. Following
selection and a second set of crosses, the resulting seeds
will be shipped from Colombia to nurseries in Thailand for
evaluation in key target environments, selection of the best
genotypes, and eventual incorporation into farming communities.
While the Cassava breeder at CIAT headquarters will be responsible
for the technical aspects, CIAT and CIAT-Asia will work closely
with Thai colleagues for the duration of the project, with
yearly meetings held in Bangkok to assess progress. To improve
capacity to identify other useful traits in cassava, CIAT
will offer training to Thai scientists, including faculty
and students of Kasetsart University in Bangkok.
By growing highly productive high-starch cassava, farmers
will earn more from their harvests and, while food prices
continue to rise, increased revenue means more investment
into their cassava fields and more food for their families
and communities.
Contact: Hernán Ceballos (h.ceballos@cgiar.org),
CIAT, phone: +57 (2) 4450000 (ext. 3125), Cali, Colombia.
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