OpenAlex · 2026-08-07
Scientists tested nine genetic markers meant to help breed better cassava, a staple food crop for hundreds of millions of people, and found that one marker reliably predicts higher levels of beta-carotene, an important nutrient, while markers for other traits worked inconsistently across different cassava populations.
Marker S1_24155522 showed a strong, consistent association with total carotenoid content (vitamin A precursor) across breeding populations, making it the most promising candidate for marker-assisted selection
Genotyping was highly reliable, with call rates exceeding 96% and clear allelic discrimination across 360 tested genotypes from two independent breeding populations
The relationship between carotenoid and dry matter content flipped direction between populations (r = -0.26 in one, r = +0.37 in the other), showing dry matter and cyanide markers are less reliable due to complex genetics
