Newly-published study details comprehensive nutrient analysis of biotech cassava

An East African led team of scientists has published a comprehensive comparative assessment of the principal nutrients, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and secondary metabolites in the leaves and storage roots from disease resistant (4046) cassava and its conventional parent (TME 204).   These data were collected from field trials in Kenya and Uganda…

Wagaba, H., et al. 2021

Comparative compositional analysis of cassava brown streak disease resistant 4046 cassava and its non-transgenic parental cultivar ABSTRACT Compositional analysis is an important component of an integrated comparative approach to assessing the food and feed safety of new crops developed using biotechnology. As part of the safety assessment of cassava brown streak disease resistant 4046 cassava,…

Kenyan farmers to reap big from disease-resistant cassava

By Dr. Simon Gichuki After years of meticulous research, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) is seeking approval from the National Biosafety Authority to introduce a genetically modified cassava. The cassava line 4046 protects cassava from the devastating Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD).  KALRO cassava breeders have already begun working to develop new…

A Scientist’s Dream Coming True

My Journey Towards Development of Disease Resistant Cassava As a young boy, I grew up knowing cassava was an important food crop, especially in times of hunger. My grandmother used to narrate how the crop was once the only food available during the ‘cassava hunger’. But there was little cassava production in my region, and…

Cassava deserves more attention in the BIG FOUR

Improving food security in Kenya requires a comprehensive approach, including looking at alternative staple foods beyond maize, rice, and wheat. Cassava, the fifth major food crop in the world, is a good alternative. Besides its importance as a key food security crop, it can also generate thousands of jobs along the value chain due to…