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 over two successive cropping cycles. Among the 100 compositional components that were assessed in roots (47 components) and leaves (53 components), there were no nutritionally significant differences between 4046 cassava and its unmodified parent. Thus, cassava brown streak disease resistant cassava was found to be compositionally equivalent to conventional cassava, and may be consumed without any nutritional effects.
The paper, entitled ‘Comparative compositional analysis of cassava brown streak disease resistant 4046 cassava and its non-transgenic parental cultivar’, appears in the peer-reviewed journal GM Crops & Food.
The data and analysis were part of an application made earlier this year by KALRO to the Kenya National Biosafety Authority for environmental release and placing on the market of the disease resistant cassava. A study of the agronomic performance of disease resistant cassava that was also part of the application is being prepared for publication as well.
