[Breeding] Transforming Cassava Breeding with Hybrid Inbred Strategies

Cassava breeding has traditionally relied on highly heterozygous parents, limiting the efficiency of trait introgression and genetic improvement. In this study, our team proposed a transformational breeding strategy based on inbred-parent hybrid systems, similar to the revolution that transformed maize breeding. By leveraging self-compatibility, doubled haploids, and genomics-enabled selection, this framework enables the purging of deleterious mutations and systematic exploitation of heterosis. The work outlines a roadmap toward faster, more predictable cassava improvement pipelines. This collaborative effort with CIAT, CIMMYT, and global partners lays the conceptual foundation for next-generation breeding systems in clonally propagated crops.