Discusses the growing importance of cassava as a global crop;

Part 1 The cassava plant and its uses1.The emergence of cassava as a global crop: Doyle McKey, University of Montpellier, France and Marc Delêtre, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; 2.Use and nutritional value of cassava roots and leaves as a traditional food: Aurélie Bechoff, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, UK; 3.Cassava for industrial uses: Kuakoon Piyachomkwan and Sittichoke Wanlapatit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand; and Klanarong Sriroth, Kasetsart University, Thailand; 4.New uses and processes for cassava: Keith Tomlins and Ben Bennett, Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, UK; Part 2 Current cassava cultivation and opportunities for improvement 5.Cassava cultivation in Asia: Tin Maung Aye, CIAT, Vietnam; 6.Cassava cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa: Dunstan S. C. Spencer, Enterprise Development Services Ltd, Sierra Leone; and Chuma Ezedinma, UNIDO, Nigeria; 7.Cassava cultivation in Latin America: Olivier F. Vilpoux, Denilson de Oliveira Guilherme and Marney Pascoli Cereda, Catholic University of Campo Grande, Brazil; 8.Drivers of change for cassava's multiple roles in sustainable development: Clair H. Hershey, formerly CIAT, Colombia; 9.Targeting smallholder farmers to adopt improved cassava technologies: challenges and opportunities: Kolawole Adebayo, Federal University of Agriculture, Nigeria; 10.GCP21: a global cassava partnership for the 21st century: Claude M. Fauquet and Joe Tohme, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia; Part 3 Sustainable intensification of cassava cultivation11.Integrated crop management for cassava cultivation in Asia: Tin Maung Aye, CIAT, Vietnam; and Reinhardt Howeler, CIAT Emeritus - formerly CIAT, Thailand; 12.Seed systems management in cassava cultivation: James George and Sarojini Amma Sunitha, ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, India; 13.Cassava cultivation and soil productivity: Reinhardt Howeler, CIAT Emeritus - formerly CIAT, Thailand; 14.Addressing nutritional disorders in cassava cultivation: Reinhardt Howeler, CIAT Emeritus - formerly CIAT, Thailand; 15.Nutrient sources and their application in cassava cultivation: Reinhardt Howeler, CIAT Emeritus - formerly CIAT, Thailand; 16.Intercropping and crop rotations in cassava cultivation: a production systems approach: Thomas W. Kuyper, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; and Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ghana; 17.Value chain approaches to mechanization in cassava cultivation and harvesting in Africa: George Marechera and Grace Muinga, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Kenya;