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NEWS RELEASE
Increasing the Shelf-Life of Cassava
MADISON, WI, July 19th – Crop scientists have identified several genetic mechanisms to improving the shelf-life of cassava roots. Long an unsolvable problem, the research has the potential to benefit the poorest of the poor, widening and strengthening the markets for cassava, reducing marketing costs, and losses along the marketing or value addition process.
The research team, led by Hernán Ceballos at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, identified four different sources of tolerance to a phenomenon known as post-harvest physiological deterioration. This process renders the cassava roots inedible and unmarketable a mere two to four days after harvesting.
Crop Scienceis the flagship journal of the Crop Science Society of America. It is a top international journal in the fields of crop breeding and genetics, crop physiology, and crop production. The journal is a critical outlet for articles describing plant germplasm collections and their use.