Breeding Cassava to Feed the Poor.

The article discusses research by the authors on creation of cassava plant hybrids with improved nutritional value for inhabitants of developing countries where the plant's starchy roots are a main dietary staple. The research team is said to focus largely on breeding techniques that do not involve genetic modifications. Advances in genetic modification of cassava in the developed world are noted, including draft cassava genome sequencing. The authors discuss the nutritional aspects of cassava consumed in the tropics, hybridization of cassava with wild relatives, breeding to guard against pests, and aspects of marker-assisted cassava breeding.