[P003] Poster

12:10 PM - 1:00 PM JST(3:10 AM - 4:00 AM UTC)

[P02-903] Advancement of cassava molecular breeding towards the contribution to carbon neutrality.

○Tomoyuki Takeda¹, Yoshinori Utsumi^2,1, Maho Tanaka¹, Chikako Utsumi¹, Akira Iwase³, Arika Takebayashi³, Yoshie Okamoto¹, Hiroki Tokunaga^7,1, Kenji Miura⁴, Keiko Sugimoto³, Motoaki Seki^1,5,6 (1. Plant Genomic Network Research Team, RIKEN CSRS (Japan), 2. Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, Fukuyama Univ. (Japan), 3. Cell Function Research Team, RIKEN (Japan), 4. Tsukuba-Plant Innovation Research Center, Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan), 5. Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City Univ. (Japan), 6. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama Univ. (Japan), 7. Japan International Research center for Agricultural Science (Japan))

Keywords:

Cassava,Molecular breeding,Genome editing

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a major crop with diverse uses, including animal feed (leaves), propagation (stems), and industrial raw materials and food security (tuberous roots). Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric CO₂ levels have increased significantly, contributing to global warming and climate instability. Cassava is tolerant to adverse conditions associated with climate change, such as high temperatures, drought, and oligotrophic soils, and is estimated to absorb approximately 150 million tons of CO₂ annually (FAO, 2021). Therefore, cassava has attracted attention as a promising crop for achieving carbon neutrality. In this study, we have been focusing on candidate genes involved in CO₂ absorption and fixation and have been evaluating their functions and potential as targets for molecular breeding. Conventional cassava improvement relies on crossbreeding; however, this approach is limited by high heterozygosity, asynchronous flowering, and inbreeding depression. To overcome these challenges, we have developed transformation and genome editing techniques. However, the removal of introduced foreign genes is difficult due to the low flowering frequency of cassava. To address this limitation, we are developing a transgene-free knockout technology, which is pivotal for enhancing social acceptance.