Yellow cassava
Yellow
Description
Yellow cassava is similar to ordinary varieties of cassava (Manihot esculenta, see cassava) but it has a yellow flesh inside the root, which is generally white in ordinary varieties.[2] Cassava is a woody shrub that grows large roots, which are harvested for consumption. The roots consist of three parts: the central pith, the peel, and a vascular bundle within the central pith.[1] The new yellow varieties have high yields and are resistant to many pests and diseases. Like ordinary cassava, it does not need nutrient rich soils or extensive land preparation and does not suffer during droughts.[5]
History
Cassava originated from South America. The three varieties of yellow cassava, UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37, and UMUCASS 38, are the results of a 12-year contest in Nigeria funded by HarvestPlus,[6] through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Nigeria's National Root Crop Research Institute.[4] Breeding is ongoing and new innovations hope to achieve a β-carotene level of 15 micrograms/gram by 2015.[4]
Growing conditions
The new yellow varieties have high yields and are resistant to many pests and diseases. Like ordinary cassava, they do not need nutrient rich soils or extensive land preparation and do not suffer significantly as many other crops during droughts.[5]
Post-harvest processing
Cassava is usually stored in the ground until needed, as it is highly perishable after harvest.
Genetic stocks/breeding
Three genetic types are being grown in Nigeria, UMUCASS 36, UMUCASS 37, and UMUCASS 38.[2][3] Cassava can reproduce sexually or by propagation.[9] Yellow cassava cannot be purchased from any producers currently, but a distribution system is being implemented in Nigeria providing 25,000 local households with stems under the condition that they will share their stems with other rural farmers the next season.[4] This is the main approach to widen the distribution of yellow cassava.
Complaints about yellow cassava (controversies)
In 2011, environmental rights action group Friends of the Earth Nigeria (FoEN)
"We can get vitamin A from carrots,' Mariann Bassey, coordinator of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (FoEN), told journalists. 'We do not need this so-called "biofortified" cassava. Why will you (IITA) not leave this classic Southern crop alone?" Bassey said biofortified cassava research was a replay of what she termed the "Golden Rice hoax". According to Bassey,
Carrots, however, are not frequently consumed or available in much of Nigeria. Researchers have examined consumer willingness to purchase and eat yellow cassava in Nigeria and found that, in the absence of nutritional information, light yellow varieties are prized over white ones in the southwest (Oyo State) but not the southeast (Imo State). With an information campaign, yellow varieties capture larger premiums over white in all regions.[12]
Consumption and uses
The edible portion of the cassava root is the central pith.[1] It is an excellent source of carbohydrates.[3] The peel surrounding the root is inedible, although it can be used as feed for pigs and goats. Some farmers will harvest and eat the leaves as a vegetable. These "leaves are a major component of the diet" in The "Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea".[1]
Nutritional information
Vitamin A deficiency is common in
Social/cultural benefits/issues
It is normally risky to change the colour of a staple crop because colour preference can negatively affect consumer adoption rates. This is not the case with yellow cassava. Since local consumers often add palm oil to white cassava flour in their foods, they are normally accustomed to the golden colour. Therefore, the yellow colour has been shown not to deter consumers.[4]
Constraints to wider adoption
Cassava is primarily grown and eaten in rural areas.
Practical information
Since cassava can be reproduced through propagation, cutting off part of the stem and sharing it with other farmers is a good way to provide Vitamin A-rich yellow cassava to rural populations. When preserving cassava, pretreating prior to drying can have a positive effect of the level of β-carotene retention during storage. Since cassava does not have a critical time of harvest, it is recommended to grow a lot of cassava and harvest it the day of consumption.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bokanga, M. (2000). Cassava: Post-harvest operations. Information Network on Post-Harvest Operations. 1-26. FAO Cassava post-harvest pdf Archived 2014-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Egesi, Chiedozie. (2011). New improved cassava varieties released in Nigeria. Integrated Breeding Platform. integratedbreeding.net Improved cassava varieties in Nigeria Archived 2012-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Nascimento, P., Fernandes, N., Mauro, M., & Kimura, M. (2007). Beta-carotene stability during drying and storage of cassava and sweet potato. II International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables: FAVHEALTH 2007 841, 363-366. Beta-carotene in drying and storage of cassava Archived 2014-03-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e f g h WRENmedia. (2012) Green light for yellow cassava. New Agriculturalist. New Agriculturalist - Green light for yellow cassava Archived 2012-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Consortium. (2012). Nigeria releases Vitamin A cassava to improve public health for millions. Stories of Change, CGIAR. CGIAR Cassava and Vitamin A Archived 2012-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Farmers get provitamin A cassava planting materials for 2013 planting season". Archived from the original on 2015-05-02. Retrieved 2015-08-28.
- ^ Chavez, A., Sánchez, T., Ceballos, H., Rodriguez-Amaya, D., Nestel, P., Tohme, J. and Ishitani, M. (2007). Retention of carotenoids in cassava roots submitted to different processing methods. J. Sci. Food Agric. 87:388-393. Cited in Nascimento, P., Fernandes, N., Mauro, M., & Kimura, M. (2007). Beta-carotene stability during drying and storage of cassava and sweet potato. II International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables: FAVHEALTH 2007 841, 363-366. Retention of carotenoids in cassava processing Archived 2014-03-29 at the Wayback Machine
- PMID 29193665.
- ^ Ceballos, H., Iglesias, C., Perez, J., & Dixon, A. (2004). Cassava breeding: Opportunities and challenges. Plant Molecular Biology, 56(4), 503-516. scholarsportal pdf
- ^ "ERA - Environmental Rights Action - Environmental Justice Organisations, Liabilities and Trade". Archived from the original on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
- ^ "NIGERIA: Not Everyone Pleased with New Vitamin A-Fortified Cassava". Archived from the original on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
- ^ Oparinde, Adewale, Abhijit Banerji, Ekin Birol, and Paul Ilona. Information and consumer willingness to pay for biofortified yellow cassava: evidence from experimental auctions in Nigeria. Vol. 13. Intl Food Policy Res Inst, 2014.