Context:

A recent study finds that Indigenous farming and cultural traditions have been key to the survival of the cassava crop.

The key finding of the study 

• A study of researchers from the University of Warwick, the Smithsonian Institution and Embrapa (Brazilian agricultural research) analysed the genomes of more than 500 modern, herbarium and archaeological cassava plants and found the species to be extraordinarily diverse for a clonal crop.
• Indigenous Brazilian farmers assume that local cultural practices and traditions have been responsible for creating and maintaining the varied cassava gene pool.
• The study concludes that there had been exchange and trade in cuttings of different cassava varieties, resulting in regional distribution of this resilient and diverse crop.
• This study shows the importance of small-scale indigenous farming to global food security.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

• Cassava (also known as ‘Yuca’ or ‘Manioc’) is a root vegetable that has its origin in South America.
  Portuguese explorers introduced cassava to Africa during the 16th and 17th centuries through their trade with the African coasts.
• It is a carbohydrate-rich, starchy, tropical, woody shrub.
• “Bitter” and “sweet” are the two general types of cassava. The sweet type is more commonly grown because of its greater yields.
• The cassava plant is a perennial and under cultivation; it grows to a height of about 2,4 mtr. 
• Roots: Cassava roots are tuberous, long and tapered, with homogeneous flesh encased in a detachable rind, about 1 mm thick, which is rough and brown on the outside.
• Stems: The stem is erected, and it radiates from the tuber and has milky latex. 
• Leaves: The leaves are large and palmate and have five to seven lobes borne on a long, slender petiole. They are dark green above and light green below. 
• Flowers and fruit: Male and female flowers are arranged in loose plumes and are found on the same plant.

Climatic Conditions for the Cassava Plant

• This tropical plant is most productive between 15 degrees North and 15 degrees South latitudes.
• In general, the crop requires a warm, humid climate and is typically grown in areas that are frost-free all year round. 
• More than 12 hours of daylight can cause delays in tubering (starch storage) 
• Temperature: The highest tuber production can be expected in the tropical lowlands, below an altitude of 150 m, where temperatures average 25 °C and 29 °C, but some varieties grow at altitudes of up to 1,500 m.
• Soil: It grows best on light, sandy loams or on loamy sands that are moist, fertile and deep.

Casava Production

• The global cassava processing market size reached 324.4 million tons in 2024.
• Nigeria (60.8 Metric tons in 2022) is the world’s largest producer, followed by DR Congo (48.8 Metric tons in 2022), the most consistent cassava producer worldwide.
• Thailand is the world’s biggest exporter of dried cassava. 
• China is the world's largest importer of cassava, with imports valued at $1.5 billion in 2023, primarily sourced from Thailand, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries.