Assesses developments in genetic resources, genomic information and their application in marker-assisted breeding of cassava;

Part 1 Cassava genetic resources and breeding tools1.Advances in understanding cassava growth and development: Virgílio Gavicho Uarrota, Deivid L. V. Stefen, Clovis Arruda de Souza (UTM) and Cileide Maria Medeiros Coelho, University of the State of Santa Catarina (UDESC), Brazil; Rodolfo Moresco and Marcelo Maraschin, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil; Fernando David Sánchez-Mora, Technical University of Manabí, Ecuador; and Eduardo da Costa Nunes, Enilto de Oliveira Neubert and Luiz Augusto Martins Peruch, Santa Catarina State Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Agency (EPAGRI), Brazil; 2.Conservation and distribution of cassava genetic resources: Michael Abberton, Badara Gueye, Tchamba Marimagne and Folarin Soyode, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria; 3.Developing new cassava varieties: tools, techniques and strategies: Hernán Ceballos, Nelson Morante, Fernando Calle, Jorge Lenis and Sandra Salazar, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia; 4.Molecular approaches in cassava breeding: Luis Augusto Becerra Lopez-Lavalle, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia; 5.Marker-assisted selection in cassava breeding: Ismail Y. Rabbi, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria; 6.Advances in genetic modification of cassava: P. Zhang, Q. Ma, M. Naconsie, X. Wu, W. Zhou, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China and J. Yang, Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, China;Part 2 Breeding improved cassava varieties7.Breeding cassava for higher yield: Piya Kittipadakul, Pasajee Kongsil and Chalermpol Phumichai, Kasetsart University, Thailand; and Shelley H. Jansky, USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; 8.Breeding, delivery, use and benefi ts of bio-fortifi ed cassava: Elizabeth Parkes and Olufemi Aina, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria; 9.Breeding cassava to meet consumer preferences for product quality: Adebayo Abass, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Tanzania; Wasiu Awoyale, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Liberia and Kwara State University, Nigeria; and Lateef Sanni and Taofi k Shittu, Federal University of Agriculture, Nigeria; Part 3 Managing pests and diseases10.Diseases affecting cassava: James Legg, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Tanzania; and Elizabeth Alvarez, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia; 11.Integrated management of arthropod pests of cassava: the case of Southeast Asia: Ignazio Graziosi and Kris A.G. Wyckhuys, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Vietnam; 12.Weed control in cassava cropping systems: S. Hauser and F. Ekeleme, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria;