Uganda: GM cassavas trialled
Cassava, a staple food in much of Africa is, unfortunately, highly susceptible to disease. For that reason, scientists in Uganda are testing a GM variety which is thought to be disease resistant.
However, like GM crops in many places, the new variety has run into controversy and opposition. The problem is Cassava Brown Streak Disease, which appeared in Uganda in 2005 and quickly spread, causing much damage to crops and to growers.
Scientist Titus Alicai thinks he has a solution: cassava plants that have been transformed for resistance to Cassava Brown Streak Disease. Alicai is a cassava breeder for Uganda’s national crop research institute. He shows off a shaded nursery full of thousands of small plants.
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