Abstract:Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food and bio-energy crop which mainly grows in marginal lands by subsistent farmers in tropics and Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important food and bio-energy crop which mainly grows in marginal lands by subsistent farmers in tropics and subtropics. Cassava contains great amount of starch in its storage roots, but it rapidly undergoes physiological deterioration after harvest, which greatly affects storage life and subsequent starch processing. The current research progresses in post-harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) of cassava were reviewed, including the evaluation methods and biochemical basis, the hybridization breeding efforts to improve cassava resistant to PPD, and genetic engineering mainly related to reactive oxygen species for PPD modification. The perspectives and problems of PPD engineering in cassava were discussed to provide useful information for genetic improvement to delay PPD of storage roots in cassava.
