Source: DTE

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Context :

• A recent study has shown that indigenous farming practices & cultural traditions have a crucial role in maintaining the genetic diversity of cassava. It is a crop that feeds 1 billion people
• This research also shows that traditional knowledge can ensure the survival & resilience of major food crops.

Key Points:

• Cassava as a Staple Crop:
  • • Cassava is also known as Yuca or Manioc or Tapioca .
    • It is a root vegetable that feeds 1 billion people
    • It is usually referred to as the “bread of the tropics” because it is a major food source in tropical regions.
    • It is a major horticulture crop cultivated in 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu. it is producing about 60 lakh tonnes
    • Its roots are processed to produce cassava flour, bread, tapioca, laundry starch & even alcoholic beverages.

• Clonal Planting Method:
  • • Cassava is usually grown through stem cuttings. Where new plants are genetic clones of the original.
    • This method reduces genetic diversity. And it makes the crop vulnerable to diseases.
• Unexpected Genetic Diversity:
  • • A study analysed the genomes of 500 cassava plants.
    • They discovered that despite being a clonal crop, cassava has extraordinary genetic diversity.

Climatic Conditions:

• Soil: It grows best in well drained soils red lateritic loamy soils.
• Climate: tropical, warm & humid climate.
• Rainfall: The plant requires well distributed rainfall of more than 100 cm per year.
• It can be cultivated up to an elevation of 1000 meters.

Toxicity Concerns:

• All parts of the tapioca plant including the leaves, stems, tubers & peel contain compounds called cyanogenic glucosides (CNG) like linamarin & lotaustralin.
• When it is processed then these compounds break down into acetone cyanohydrin & hydrogen cyanide. Both of them are toxic.
• The leaves contain 10 times more CNG than the roots.
• The peel of the plant contains 10-30 times more CNG than the edible parts.

Risk of Cyanide Poisoning:

• If the crushed peel or leaves are fed to animals without being properly dried or processed then it can lead to cyanide poisoning.
• It is important to ensure that these parts are properly dried or processed to reduce the risk of poisoning.

CNG Levels in Leaves:

• The cyanogenic content in cassava leaves decreases as the leaves age.
• Older leaves contain less cyanide than younger leaves.

Source: DTE