[NAIROBI] Cassava could be bred on a large scale to contain high contents of vitamin A using a new process — called rapid cycling — that shortens the usual period from eight to only three years, according to a study.
The researchers say more than 70 million people in developing countries depend on cassava as a source of food but the current varieties lack enough vitamin A, an important nutrient that the WHO estimates its deficiency could make up to 500,000 children worldwide become blind each year.
Publisher: http://www.scidev.net
Publishing date: 2013-12-05