Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is one of the most important sources of dietary calories in the tropics, playing a central role in food and economic security for smallholder farmers. Cassava production is highly constrained by several pests and diseases, mostly cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). These diseases cause significant yield losses, affecting food security and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Developing resistant varieties is a good way of increasing cassava productivity. Although some levels of resistance have been developed for some of these diseases, there is observed breakdown in resistance for some diseases, such as CMD. A frequent re-evaluation of existing disease resistance traits is required to make sure they are still able to withstand the pressure associated with pest and pathogen evolution. Modern breeding approaches such as genomic-assisted selection in addition to biotechnology techniques like classical genetic engineering or genome editing can accelerate the development of pest- and disease-resistant cassava varieties. This article summarizes current developments and discusses the potential of using molecular genetics and genomics to produce cassava varieties resistant to diseases and pests.

中文翻译：

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木薯分子遗传学和基因组学增强对病虫害的抵抗力

木薯 ( Manihot esculenta ) 是热带地区最重要的膳食热量来源之一，在小农的粮食和经济安全中发挥着核心作用。木薯生产受到多种病虫害的严重限制，主要是木薯花叶病（CMD）和木薯褐条病（CBSD）。这些疾病造成严重的产量损失，影响粮食安全和小农的生计。开发抗性品种是提高木薯产量的好方法。尽管对其中一些疾病已经产生了一定程度的抵抗力，但仍观察到对某些疾病（如CMD）的抵抗力下降。需要经常重新评估现有的抗病性状，以确保它们仍然能够承受与害虫和病原体进化相关的压力。除了经典基因工程或基因组编辑等生物技术之外，基因组辅助选择等现代育种方法可以加速抗虫害和抗病木薯品种的开发。本文总结了当前的进展，并讨论了利用分子遗传学和基因组学生产抗病虫害的木薯品种的潜力。