Haplotype-resolved genome of heterozygous African cassava cultivar TMEB117 (Manihot esculenta)

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital tropical root crop providing essential dietary energy to
over 800 million people in tropical and subtropical regions. As a climate-resilient crop, its significance
grows as the human population expands. However, yield improvement faces challenges from biotic
and abiotic stress and limited breeding. Advanced sequencing and assembly techniques enabled the
generation of a highly accurate, nearly complete, haplotype-resolved genome of the African cassava
cultivar TMEB117. It is the most accurate cassava genome sequence to date with a base-level accuracy
of QV > 64, N50 > 35 Mbp, and 98.9% BUSCO completeness. Over 60% of the genome comprises
repetitive elements. We predicted over 45,000 gene models for both haplotypes. This achievement
offers valuable insights into the heterozygosity genome organization of the cassava genome, with
improved accuracy, completeness, and phased genomes. Due to its high susceptibility to African
Cassava Mosaic Virus (ACMV) infections compared to other cassava varieties, TMEB117 provides an
ideal reference for studying virus resistance mechanisms, including epigenetic variations and smallRNA
expressions.