Three decades of cassava cultivation in Brazil: Potentialities and perspectives

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) shows high phenotypic plasticity, acclimatization, wide adaptability, and resilience to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions. In this context, this systematic review aims to identify what were the factors that determined the production of cassava in Brazil in the last three decades, and to direct what are the possible perspectives of the crop in the country. The methodology to produce this review was based on studies that which integrate the academic information produced in different situations (1990-2020), environments, states, groups of researchers and existing scientific evidence for this theme. Based on the information, a binary matrix of information was assembled based on the following characters, plant density per hectare, soil type, city, state, average air temperature, planting line spacing, plant spacing on the planting line, implantation date, implantation station, harvesting station, productivity per hectare, days for harvest, liming, fertilization, precipitation and climate. It is evident that in the last 30 years the productivity of cassava in Brazil has been increased, mainly in low-income populations and those located in rural areas. There are prospects for increasing cassava production for fresh sale and industry. The crop is characterized as rustic, highly adaptive, tolerant of water stress and acidic soils, being highly influenced by the climate, rainfall, air temperature, and incident solar radiation. Productivity is determined by the time of implantation, liming, fertilization, density, and plant arrangement.

Emerging Trends to Improve Tropical Plants: Biotechnological Interventions

“…The tropics have been a source of many new food crops that have been introduced to other regions of the world: sorghum (which originated in Africa, Winchell,[4]), soybean (from China, Singh, [5]), mung bean (from China, Shahrajabian, [6]), peanut (from South America, Ozias-Akins, [7]), cassava (from Brazil, Bester, [8]), lima bean, and fava bean (from Peru, [9] Santos, 2008). Several plant families have their center of diversity in the tropics.…”

Genetic contributions to productivity and nutritional aspects in cassava crops

“…Through genetic improvement, cassava crop has made great progress, such as an expressive increase in productive potential and nutritional root quality through new cultivars. Bester et al (2021), in a study on a 30-year historical series, reported an increase in cassava productivity in Brazil. Species diversity is a resource that can be used as a source of genetic variation for incorporating genes into new varieties (Pádua, 2018).…”

“…Its vast cultivation is mainly due to its genetic characteristics, which include rusticity, tolerance to drought and acidic soils, high adaptive capacity and low production cost. It has become one of the main sources of carbohydrates in the world (Bester et al, 2021). According to the latest survey by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global production of cassava roots was 291 million tons in an area of approximately 26.3 million hectares, with an increase of 55 and 66%, respectively, since 2000 (FAO, 2019).…”