Cultivating varieties of cassava that withstand mosaic disease is of critical importance in all major growing areas from Sub-Saharan Africa because the virus has spread widely across the continent, and thus sweeping countermeasures are required to safeguard this staple crop. Brown streak disease resistant lines of cassava are necessary for farmers in regions of East-Africa and the eastern part of the Congo Basin where this virus causes extensive damage to root yield. Producers operating in areas that are plagued by high numbers of whiteflies that transmit the diseases among crop stands especially require the use of resistant varieties by farmers. Cultivating resistant lines is offering pertinent benefits when the damage of viral infections in cassava production is high or low for the reason that the interventions increases root yields and decreases further dispersal under different pressure. One of the main advantages s since there is no complete systemic infection of plants which makes that a substantial proportion of cuttings collected are entirely virus-free.

More than 200 improved cassava varieties that are resistant to mosaic disease have been released over the past two decades, and are multiplied by programs in 31 African countries for distribution to farmers. In the last five years, breeders have developed xx cassava varieties that withstand attacks by brown streak disease and were made available to national systems for deployment in heavily impacted regions. There are also a number of elite lines with dual resistance to cassava mosaic and brown streak diseases that offer farmers a powerful means to combat viral infections. Breeding for disease resistance has been selected varieties that are high-yielding and carry good consumer preference and other end-use traits. Many of the varieties that are resistant to cassava mosaic disease or brown streak disease also withstand other major cassava pathogens like bacterial blight disease, anthracnose disease, cassava green mite, and cassava mealybug, offering a major advantage for integrated crop health management by farmers. Various programs are making continual efforts to identify and engineer cassava varieties that withstand common diseases and fulfil agronomic needs.

Disease resistant varieties are multiplied and cultivated in the same way like any other cassava crop, in which cuttings taken from one stand are reused to plant another field. Caution has to be exercised by farmers that planting materials are free of diseases symptom when transfers are made between fields in order to effectively drive back infections and associated yield losses. Planting disease resistant varieties on boundaries of farmer fields or the rows oriented to the prevailing wind direction has shown to limit infections of susceptible varieties in the middle. Different modes for planting have to be employed depending on rainfall conditions, cuttings are best placed horizontally and covered entirely with soil in areas with a dry climate, and can be planted vertical or angular in humid areas with high precipitation. Recommended soil and fertilizer management for particular growing areas and conditions have to be adhered to achieve high root yields. Limitations in the availability of nutrients and water, soil compaction and weed encroachment have to be addressed for making sure that the use of disease resistant cassava varieties increases production levels.