An experiment on cassava degeneration, Twitter-style

IITA plant virologist James Legg asks:

Cassava mosaic virus disease & Cassava brown streak virus disease constrain production throughout East & Central Africa, but do the effects get worse if farmers keep recycling planting material?

Yes, right?

Well, it’s more complicated than that. Spoiler alert:

1. Degeneration is most clear in resistant varieties as it happens slowly
2. Virus-free planting material gives greater yield gains than extreme resistance
3. BUT, virus-free material has no value for highly susceptible varieties

But read how they got there.

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