Webinar: “Consumer-centric breeding – extending tricot as a participatory tool for mapping cassava trait preferences”, 4 December

27 November 2025

This webinar explores how the tricot participatory method, originally designed for farmer evaluations, was adapted to map consumer preferences for cassava quality traits. The study compares tricot with conventional hedonic scales to understand how consumers rank cassava genotypes based on colour and texture. By linking consumer rankings and ratings to biophysical, textural, colour, and sensory attributes, the work demonstrates the efficiency of tricot in consumer preference mapping. The resulting rank data were integrated into predictive modeling to support consumer-focused and socially responsive cassava breeding that aligns scientific innovation with real-world demand.

Date: Thursday 4 December
Time: 15:00–15:30 (CET)

Summary

In this webinar, you will learn:

• How the tricot method can be adapted from farmer evaluations to consumer testing for cassava
• How consumer rankings using tricot compare with hedonic scales for assessing cassava quality
• How colour, texture, and sensory attributes shape consumer preferences for cassava genotypes
• How rank-based preference data can be linked to biophysical and textural measurements
• How predictive models using tricot data can guide consumer-centric cassava breeding and product profiles

About the speaker

Dr. Cynthia Idhigu Aghogho is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University, USA. Cynthia is a plant breeder whose research bridges participatory evaluation, sensory science, and predictive breeding. This study was conducted during her time at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, where she worked on integrating consumer insights into cassava improvement.

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