Cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz, is the leading food and feed plant of the tropics. It is a major staple food for more than 800 million people in this part of the world. South America is responsible for about half of the world cassava production . Brazil is its second largest producer and the first consumer all over the world . Central Brazil is one of the four centers of diversity of Manihot species . Cassava can feed both humans and animals, where both roots and leaves can be eaten. In some areas around the world, such as Northeast Brazil, more than 70% of calories consumed daily by the population comes from cassava . It is a potential crop to grow in semi-arid lands if a breeding method is carefully designed and followed