Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 22-31 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/tgmb 22 Research Article Open Access Agronomic Traits of Cassava and Their Genetic Bases: A Focus on Yield and Quality Improvements Zhongmei Hong, Wenzhong Huang CRO Service Station, Sanya Tihitar SciTech Breeding Service Inc., Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: hitar@hitar.org Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, 2024, Vol.14, No.1 doi: 10.5376/tgmb.2024.14.0004 Received: 10 Jan., 2024 Accepted: 18 Feb., 2024 Published: 28 Feb., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Hong and Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Hong Z.M., and Huang W.Z., 2024, Agronomic traits of cassava and their genetic bases: a focus on yield and quality improvements, Tree Genetics and Molecular Breeding, 14(1): 22-31 (doi: 10.5376/tgmb.2024.14.0004) Abstract Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a key food and industrial crop in the global tropics, valued for its high adaptability to marginal soil conditions and the starch-rich nature of its roots. As the global population continues to grow and climate change becomes more severe, the scientific community is seeking to address the challenges of food security and agricultural sustainability by improving cassava production and processing quality. This paper reviews the research progress of cassava agronomic traits and genetic basis in recent years, with special attention paid to the mining of genetic diversity, improvement of agronomic traits and application of modern biotechnology in cassava breeding. Studies have shown that the combination of traditional selective breeding, molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS), gene editing and other technologies has greatly improved the cassava root yield and starch quality. In addition, the implementation of precision agronomic technology and smart agriculture provides new possibilities for optimizing cassava production management and improving its environmental adaptability. The paper also discusses the direction of future cassava research, including further development of genetic resources, improving cassava's resilience to environmental changes and its role in the global food system. Keywords Cassava; Agronomic traits; Genetic basis; Biotechnology; Yield and quality improvement 1 Introduction Cassava, as one of the most important starchy root crops in the tropical regions of the world, has become the main source of carbohydrates for about 750 million people due to its unique ecological adaptability and high yield characteristics, especially in those marginal environments with hot climates and poor land, cassava plays an irreplaceable role. Cassava is grown in tropical regions around the world, from the grasslands of Africa to the rainforests of Latin America to certain tropical regions of Asia, where it is closely linked to food security and livelihoods. In these areas, cassava is not only a major food crop, but also an important cash crop, providing a steady source of income for the local population. On a global scale, cassava planting area and production have maintained a steady growth trend. Although its planting area and yield are not yet comparable to food crops such as rice, wheat and maize, cassava still ranks fourth in global food crop production due to its unique advantages in tropical regions (Hyman et al., 2012). This status is a testament to the importance of cassava in global agricultural production and food supply. Although the yield and importance of cassava cannot be ignored, research on its breeding and agronomic traits faces many challenges. As a crop with long growth cycle and heterogeneous genetic background, it is often difficult to achieve its breeding goals. For example, breeding goals such as increasing cassava yield, improving the quality of its roots and developing resistance to disease require a long period of research and experimentation (Fregene et al., 2001). At the same time, due to the large differences in soil and climate conditions in cassava planting areas, it also brings great challenges to the research of cassava breeding and agronomic traits. In addition, the current cassava breeding is also facing the problem of slow genetic improvement process. Due to the lack of in-depth understanding and effective utilization of cassava genetic characteristics, as well as the lack of sufficient scientific research investment and technical support, the process of cassava genetic improvement is relatively lagging behind. This not only limits further increases in cassava production, but also limits its larger role in the global food supply (Hyman et al., 2012). Therefore, the future research on cassava breeding and agronomic
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