The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded a $1.3 million grant to researchers at the University of Arizona to lead an international team in developing a genome variation database that will help farmers improve the immunity of an important African staple crop to viral diseases.
Cassava is a root crop that serves as a primary food source for 750 million people each year, concentrated in Africa and Asia. Academic, industry and government researchers recently completed a first draft of the cassava genome, an essential first step to developing disease resistance. Analysts say farmers in Africa lose one third of their cassava crops each year to viruses.
"We’re excited about the opportunity for cassava breeders to access new tools for improving a staple African crop," said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation agricultural development program officer Katherine Kahn.
According to researchers, one virus called CBSD is particularly harmful to cassava crops, and has become a major threat to food security in parts of East Africa. Researchers will therefore concentrate on improving the crop’s resistance to the CBSD virus.
The project will be coordinated by Steve Rounsely, an associate professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Plant Sciences. The research team will include scientists from the University of Maryland, the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and private biotechnology firm 454 Life Sciences.
"With the first cassava genome in hand, we can cheaply and quickly sequence other varieties that will give us thousands of little signposts – mile markers if you like – that will help us identify key genes for increasing the plant’s resistance to the virus," said Rounsley.
The cassava genome grant comes from the Gates Foundation’s Agricultural Development Initiative. The Agricultural Development Initiative is a program that works to improve the productivity of small farmers by providing links to markets, providing access to inputs and financing agricultural research.
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This is fascinating. I was reading about this topic just the other day, and I had some questions. More research for me to do, I guess.
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Well, I am not an atheist, humanist or agnostic, but I am interested in understanding the reasons that one becomes one of the 3.I’ve seen the damage CBSD can do to crops. I have met some of each but never had enough dialogue to begin understanding the reasons they became what they were.
I look forward to possible dialogue with more people on this topic.
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These CBSD virus, is there already the “cure” for the cassava crops?
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