BREAKTHROUGH FOR CASSAVA PRODUCTIVITY ANDDROUGHT RESILIENCE

New study shows how targeted potassium transport improves yield and drought tolerance in cassava

As published in Nature Plants on 17 December 2025

DOI: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02159-7

An international research team from the Cassava Source-Sink (CASS) consortium has

achieved an important breakthrough in cassava improvement. In their newly published

paper, the scientists report that introducing a modified potassium channel gene from

Arabidopsis thaliana into cassava (Manihot esculenta) significantly increased

photosynthetic efficiency, assimilate transport, and storage root yield — even under

drought stress conditions.

The study, led by researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg

(FAU), RPTU Kaiserslautern, Forschungszentrum Jülich, and National Chung Hsing

University (NCHU, Taiwan), demonstrates that targeted modification of potassium (K⁺)

transport can enhance cassava productivity without additional fertilizer input.

In both greenhouse and multi-year field trials, the transgenic cassava plants

expressing the non-rectifying Arabidopsis potassium channel gene variant (AKT2var)

showed higher electron transport and CO₂ assimilation rates, increased phloem flow

velocity, and improved source-sink carbohydrate transport.

“This work represents an important step toward unlocking cassava’s full potential,” said

Prof. Uwe Sonnewald (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg). “By enhancing nutrient transport and

drought tolerance, we can help make cassava cultivation more productive and climate-

resilient — a crucial contribution to global food security.”

Field experiments played a key role in validating the findings.

“Field experiments were a central part of the work to demonstrate that the new cassava

traits were stable over several years,” explained Prof. Wilhelm Gruissem (National

Chung Hsing University).

Additional partners highlighted the scientific and translational importance oft he work.

“Our work illustrates the importance of translational research from a model plant to a

global crop,” emphasized Prof. Ekkehard Neuhaus (University of Kaiserslautern).

Experts involved in the physiological and field-based analyses highlighted the broader

significance of the results:

“Our work underlines the critical importance of field monitoring and a comprehensive

understanding of the complex interactions between carbon uptake, transport, and

storage in cassava as we work toward optimizing yields while maintaining the natural

resistance of cassava,” said Prof. Uwe Rascher (Forschungszentrum Jülich).

He added: “It is great to be part of an interdisciplinary collaboration in plant research,

which brings us one step closer to securing sustainable yields.”

Cassava is a staple food for nearly one billion people in the tropics, particularly for

smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings of this study provide a

promising path toward improving yield and resilience in this vital crop.

The Cassava Source–Sink (CASS) Project is a global research collaboration dedicated

to improving cassava productivity, climate resilience, and food and nutrition security.

Coordinated at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg (FAU) and

funded by Gates Agricultural Innovations, CASS brings together leading partners

including the Boyce Thompson Institute (USA), University of Oxford (UK), FAU and

Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany), the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant

Physiology (Germany), RPTU (Germany), University of Helsinki (Finland), ETH Zürich

(Switzerland), IITA (Nigeria), NRCRI (Nigeria), and National Chung Hsing University

(Taiwan).

Learn more at www.cass-research.org.

Media contact:

Jolanda Kraner

Impact Manager – CASS Consortium

Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)

Email: jolanda.kraner@fau.de