Cyanogenic glucosides in cassava from the breeding perspective

Описание: Cassava is a staple food for more than 800 million people worldwide—but its natural cyanogenic glycosides (HCN potential) pose important challenges for food safety, breeding, and farmer adoption. In this in-depth webinar, Dr. Hernán Ceballos, one of the world’s leading cassava breeders, explores the science, trade-offs, and real-world relevance of breeding cassava for low cyanogenic potential.

Hosted by the Global Plant Council in collaboration with the International Safe Cassava Network, this fifth webinar in the series brings together plant scientists, breeders, food safety experts, and farmers to discuss when—and whether—breeding for low HCN cassava truly makes sense.

🔬 What you’ll learn in this webinar:
What cyanogenic glycosides (HCN) are and why cassava produces them
How farmers distinguish sweet vs. bitter cassava and why bitter types are often preferred
The genetic variability, heritability, and environmental effects of HCN in cassava
Modern phenotyping tools, including near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and molecular markers
Why food product profiles (boiled cassava, gari, starch, animal feed) matter more than HCN alone
The case of “gold standard” low-HCN varieties like Mantega / Valencia / Hanati
Why breeding low-HCN cassava is scientifically feasible—but often not the best use of resources
How processing methods, drought, and socio-economic factors influence cassava safety
Reflections on gene editing, GM cassava, and their role in research vs. deployment

🌍 Who should watch:

Plant scientists and crop breeders
Cassava farmers, extension workers, and development practitioners
Food safety and nutrition specialists
Students and enthusiasts of plant science, genetics, and tropical agriculture

Dr. Hernán Ceballos draws on decades of global experience to challenge assumptions, highlight farmer realities, and explain why cassava breeding must balance biology, culture, markets, and food security.

📅 Streamed live on 16 December 2025
🎙️ Speaker: Dr. Hernán Ceballos (CIAT, Colombia)
🪑 Chair: Dr. Carlos Iglesias (North Carolina State University, USA)

👉 Watch the full webinar to gain expert insights into cassava safety, cyanide management, and the future of tropical crop breeding.

Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome
00:02:37 Dr. Hernán Ceballos
00:37:32 Q&A session

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Useful Cassava links

Donate to the ANU Konzo Prevention Fund: https://engage.anu.edu.au/giving/give...
African Plant Breeding Academy CRISPR Course https://pba.ucdavis.edu/afpba-crispr-...
International Safe Cassava Network Website: http://theiscn.org