3 February 2011: A new publication from Bioversity International, “The Global Diversity of Taro,” addresses approaches to combatting diseases like taro leaf blight. Bioversity International is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The report highlights the importance of taro as a staple crop throughout Asia, the Pacific, the Americas and Africa, underscoring its value as a source of vitamins and its medicinal properties. It explores the relative lack of genetic diversity of taro, describing its susceptibility to pests and disease. It outlines breeding approaches and evaluations of disease-resistant varieties. The publication also collects knowledge on local knowledge of taro crop. [Publication: The Global Diversity of Taro]