East Africa: Hope for Cassava farmers

By Henry Neondo

Cassava farmers in East Africa whose crops are suffering from or immediately threatened by the dual threat of the cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) have a reason to smile with the news that three cassava varieties have shown promises against the diseases in Uganda.

Dr Edward Kanju, a cassava breeder with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and one of the scientists behind the work, said he was happy with the “promising three” that had not only shown very mild symptoms of the diseases but were also very productive.

The varieties offer hope to millions of poor cassava farmers in the mid-altitude areas of eastern and central Africa whose morale – and livelihoods – have been severely dampened by the two diseases.   

Kanju said the three were selected from among 14 breeding lines that showed resistance to CMD and CBSD from last year’s growing season.

The three showed mild symptoms, mostly only on the leaves. The roots – the most economically important part of cassava—remained untouched.

They also produced up to 35 tonnes of the crop per hectare, which is more than triple Uganda ’s average of 10 tonnes per hectare.

The researchers are readying to move the varieties from on-station experimental plots to the fields to test their tolerance and productivity under actual farm conditions before they can be officially released to the farmers.

The research, initiated in 2004, is funded by IITA and being carried out in collaboration with the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) of Uganda.

It focuses on CBSD that causes a dry rot in cassava. The disease has been around in eastern and central Africa since the 1930’s but confined to the low altitude coastal lowlands. However in 2004, a deadlier form of the disease was reported in Uganda, spreading to the mid-altitude areas of neighbouring countries that are just recovering from bouts with CMD.