Citation: Sheat, S.; Mushi, E.; Gwandu, F.; Sikirou, M.; Baleke, P.; Kayondo, S.I.; Kulembeka, H.; Adetoro, N.; Winter, S. Cut, Root, and Grow: Simplifying Cassava Propagation to Scale. Plants 2024, 13, 471. https://doi.org/10.3390/ plants13040471 Academic Editor: Mikihisa Umehara Received: 13 October 2023 Revised: 2 February 2024 Accepted: 3 February 2024 Published: 6 February 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). plants Brief Report Cut, Root, and Grow: Simplifying Cassava Propagation to Scale Samar Sheat 1, * , Edda Mushi 2 , Francisca Gwandu 3 , Mouritala Sikirou 4 , Patrick Baleke 5 , Siraj Ismail Kayondo 2 , Heneriko Kulembeka 3 , Najimu Adetoro 4 and Stephan Winter 1 1 Plant Virus Department, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; stephan.winter@dsmz.de 2 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dar es Salaam P.O. Box 3444, Tanzania; e.mushi@cgiar.org (E.M.); s.kayondo@cgiar.org (S.I.K.) 3 Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute, TARI Ukiriguru, Mwanza P.O. Box 1433, Tanzania; francisca.gwandu@gmail.com (F.G.); kulembeka@yahoo.com (H.K.) 4 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kalambo Bukavu P.O. Box 4163, Democratic Republic of the Congo; m.sikirou@cgiar.org (M.S.); n.adetoro@cgiar.org (N.A.) 5 Association Volontaire pour le Développement (AVPD), Karenzu, Luvungi, Itara 1, Democratic Republic of the Congo; p.baleke@gmail.com * Correspondence: samar.sheat@dsmz.de; Tel.: +49-3946-476275 Abstract: Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an essential crop with increasing importance for food supply and as raw material for industrial processing. The crop is vegetatively propagated through stem cuttings taken at the end of the growing cycle and its low multiplication rate and the high cost of stem transportation are detrimental to the increasing demand for high-quality cassava planting materials. Rapid multiplication of vegetative propagules of crops comprises tissue culture (TC) and semi-autotroph hydroponics (SAH) that provide cost-effective propagation of plant materials; however, they contrast the need for specific infrastructure, special media and substrates, and trained personnel. Traditional methods such as TC and SAH have shown promise in efficient plant material propagation. Nonetheless, these techniques necessitate specific infrastructure, specialized media and substrates, as well as trained personnel. Moreover, losses during the intermediate nursery and adaptation stages limit the overall effectiveness of these methods. Building upon an earlier report from Embrapa Brazil, which utilized mature buds from cassava for rapid propagation, we present a modified protocol that simplifies the process for wider adoption. Our method involves excising single nodes with attached leaves from immature (green) cassava stems at 2 months after planting (MAP). These nodes are then germinated in pure water, eliminating the need for specific growth substrates and additional treatments. After the initial phase, the rooted sprouts are transferred into soil within 1–8 weeks. The protocol demonstrates a high turnover rate at minimal costs. Due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and robustness, this method holds significant promise as an efficient means of producing cassava planting materials to meet diverse agricultural needs. Keywords: leaf bud; sprouting; rooting; multiplication; cost-effective; disease-free; water 1. Introduction Cassava plays a vital role in ensuring food security in tropical and subtropical regions and its importance is increasing because of the growing demand for cassava raw materials (starch) for industrial processing [1]. The crop is resilient to adverse environments [2], relatively undemanding, but responding well to increased agricultural inputs [3]. Cassava stands as a central focus for agricultural intensification in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the primary objective of augmenting both food security and income. Its significance lies in its dual-use attributes, serving as a crucial component of the food supply and holding substantial potential as a bioenergy crop [4]. Notably, climate suitability projections [5] suggest that, in contrast to other staple crops facing significant negative impacts from climate change, cassava exhibits remarkable resilience. Its increasing climatic suitability Plants 2024, 13, 471. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13040471 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/plants