A CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing system for yam (Dioscorea spp.).
Easter D SyombuaZhengzhi ZhangJaindra Nath TripathiValentine O NtuiMinjeong KangObiero O GeorgeNguu K EdwardKan WangBing YangJaindra Nath TripathiPublished in: Plant biotechnology journal (2020)
Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a multi-species tuber crop providing food and income to millions of people worldwide, particularly in Africa (Price et al., 2016). The "yam belt" in West Africa, including Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, accounts for 92% of 72.6 million tons of global yam production (FAOSTAT 2018). Despite the economic importance, yam cultivation is plagued by several biotic and abiotic factors.