Manihot esculenta waterlogging Transcriptome. Manihot esculenta

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Grantz) is considered an important cash and biofuel crop species in Asia, Latin America and Africa because of its starchy roots, making it critical for food security and economic development. This species has been reported to be very drought tolerant; moreover, it can also uses light and water resources efficiently and is tolerant to heat. However, existing cassava cultivars that are injured by waterlogging can sometimes never fully recover, and there have been few studies on the adaptations of cassava to waterlogging stress. Globally, although cassava is grown across a wide range of environments, the majority of this species is cultivated in areas where the rainfall is more than 700 mm per year; therefore, cassava is subjected to excess rainfall during the summer rainy season. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of cassava to soil waterlogging, the transcriptional profiles of waterlogged cassava roots were analyzed via RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Genes expressed in the control and treatment groups were compared to determine the species-specific responses of cassava and to identify genes or strategies associated with waterlogging resistance.