Technical and Consumer Preferences Integrated for the Development of Cassava Varieties with High Nutritional Quality Adapted to Colombian Caribbean Coast

Increasing the nutritional composition of food is a strategy to add added value to products in key agrochains, contributing to food security, and providing nutritional compounds available to improve selected nutritional deficiencies. An increased level of β-carotenes is an important contribution to reducing vitamin A deficiency. In Colombia, the Bioversity-CIAT alliance and Agrosavia evaluated eight cassava genotypes with the aim of identifying promising candidates for commercial release adapted to Caribbean region in Colombia. Experimental genotypes were established together with two checks, in six locations representing dry and humid Caribbean region. Agronomic evaluations, combined with culinary quality assessments and participatory evaluations of consumer preferences, enabled a comprehensive analysis of each genotype. The experimental genotypes exhibited different plant architecture, with some showing greater height and higher first branching than current varieties. However, excessive plant height in certain genotypes led to increased susceptibility to lodging, negatively affecting the quality of planting material. While only a few genotypes matched the check varieties in root yield (20 T/ha), several demonstrated significantly improved nutritional quality due to higher accumulation of total and β-carotenes (>8 µg/gr and >5 µg/gr, respectively) compared to current varieties (<2 µg/gr and 1.5 µg/gr, respectively). Cooking quality and consumer acceptance were key determinants in the final selection. Among the evaluated lines, genotype GM3426-5 stood out for its favorable agronomic performance, high provitamin A content, and excellent root and cooking quality. Nevertheless, further steps are required before its commercial release, as the product profile for cassava destined for human consumption must prioritize food quality and consumer preferences.