Cassava is a root crop which accumulates starch in the tubers and grows up to about 2 m aboveground. It is widely cultivated in the tropics to produce starch because of its high productivity and stable growth even in arid and barren conditions where other crops cannot survive. Cassava is the fifth-largest source of starch in the world, following rice, wheat etc. The root and its starch are utilized in many different ways, including as food, feed and materials for industrial products. In Thailand, cassava cultivation started in the 1970s. In the 1980s, the area under cultivation reached 1 million ha, and the annual production rose to 15 million tons. Along with the increase in production, JIRCAS has helped to develop new varieties that are better adapted to the growth environment in Thailand.
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