Scientists at the University of Bath will be taking part in an international £4.2 million ($7.5 million) research project that could help millions of people avoid starvation.
The BioCassava Plus project will improve the nutritional and storage properties of cassava (Manihot esculenta), the primary food source for more than 250 million Africans and a substantial portion of the diet of nearly 600 million people worldwide.
The research is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through a partnership based at Ohio State University. Scientists from the University of Bath will receive over £300,000 to support their part in the project.
Although cassava is relatively easy to grow even in poor soils and drought conditions, its roots are low in protein and also deficient in several micronutrients, such as iron, zinc and vitamin A.
Once harvested the roots of some varieties of cassava can produce potentially toxic levels of cyanogens – substances that induce poisonous cyanide production.
In addition, harvested roots have a very short shelf-life of only one to three days, which can cause significant wastage and economic losses. Also, like most crops, cassava is susceptible to a variety of diseases and pests; in Africa, cassava mosaic virus is a serious problem.
The new research project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through its “Grand Challenges in Global Health” programme, will try to overcome these problems before running field trials in Africa and eventually handing over the improved crop to subsistence farmers in the developing world, free of charge.
As well as increasing the amount of protein in the diet of the millions of people who rely on cassava as their primary food source, the improved cassava crop will be easier to store and transport. This means that more locally-grown food will be available in areas where people are most at risk of starvation.
Dr John Beeching from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath will receive over £313,000 ($560,000) to focus on understanding and controlling the problem of the short shelf-life (post-harvest physiological deterioration) of the cassava root.
Other laboratories in the collaborative project will work on developing new types of cassava plants that have increased levels of zinc, iron, protein and vitamins A and E, have reduced cyanogens levels and are resistant to the viral disease.
“This is a very exciting project to be involved in and I am delighted that we will have the opportunity to work alongside other leading scientists in this area to help solve a pressing problem,” said Dr Beeching.
“Whilst cassava forms a very important part of the diet of more than 600 million people, it is nutritionally lacking and the problems of storage mean it cannot reach the people who need it most.
“Thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation we have the opportunity to apply science in a way that can benefit some of the world’s poorest people.”
The research will use transgenic technologies that genetically modify the crop so that it incorporates these new beneficial traits.
“Cassava crop breeders tell us that these problems simply cannot be overcome using traditional plant breeding methods,” said Dr Beeching.
“We have the technological ability to do this safely and in a way that maximizes the benefit of the new crop to the people who need it most.
“What’s more, once we have tested the crop in Africa we will give the crop to subsistence farmers free of charge with absolutely no strings attached so that they can grow and harvest the crop as they need.
“As new cassava plants are grown from cuttings, there will be no need for farmers to come back to us for more seed or supplies - they can simply increase the amount of cassava they grow year-on-year as needs dictate.
“A key challenge for us in the short term is freeing up the intellectual property rights held by research groups and businesses around the world so that we can make the new cassava crop freely available to all those who need it most.