A - Z of Cassava Growing

Cassava Production is an experiment which anybody can dable into.  You should take note of the following actions that need be taken:

• Choice of Land: A well-drained, deep, loamy soils are ideal for cassava farming but in the absence of such, sandy and clayey soils can be managed.

          Land Preparation:  The texture and water tables of the soil will guide in the choice of land 

          preparation method.  Planting on the flat is recommended when the soil is deep and well

          drained as in sandy loam soils.  However, shallow and clayey soils should be tiled and 

          ridged.  Soils prone to water-logging require ridges or mounds.  Planting on ridges or mounds

          is a general practice in the rain forest and derived savanna zones in Nigeria.

• Choosing a Variety:  There are many varieties of cassava with multiple pest and disease resistance, high and stable root yields and acceptable quality characteristics that are good for the processing of food (gari, fufu, fermented flour etc) and industrial raw materials like: starch, chips, pellets, unfermented flour, ethanol etc.

•  Recommended Varieties:   The following varieties of cassava which are most commonly grown by farmers have been recommended and  released in Nigeria:        

1.   TMS 30572
2.   4(2)1425
3.   92/0326 and
4.   NR 8082.        

            In recent time, 42 new improved genotypes have been made available to farmers in the                         South-south and South-east part of Nigeria for participatory selection so that specific best-bet 

            varieties for each of the cassava growing communities can be identified.

• Acquisition of Planting Materials:  Stems of improved varieties are available from National Seed Services (NSS), state offices of Agricultural Development Programs (ADP), the Cassava Growers Association (CGA) and several out-growers who plant and produce quality stems for sale.  Stems are tied in bundles each having 50 - 60 stems that are 1 metre long.  Fifty or Sixty of such bundles are needed to plant one (1) hectare of land.

• Stem Storage:  Keep bundles of stems stacked vertically on the soil under a shade.  The distal end of the stem should touch the soil.  Moisten the soil regularly and keep the surrounding weed free.  In this way, stems can be stored for more than 3 months.  Under a situation of low relative humidity and heat stree, stems should be stored in pits under shade.

• Stem Quality: Cassava stakes (cuttings) for planting should be taken from plants which are 8 - 18 months old.  Stakes which are taken from older plants are lignified and they perform poorly due to delay sprouting and rooting.  A mature cassava stem has 3 sections - hardwood, semihardwood and shoot-tip.  The hard and semi-hardwood sections are the best for planting.  Shoot tips are very fragile and have high mortality rate especially if they are subjected to moisture stress during the first month of planting.  The semi-hardwood section gives the best quality.

• Preparation of Planting Materials: Use sharp cutlass or a secateur to cut stems into stakes for planting.  Avoid bruising the stems. Smooth cuts enhance root yields through rapid and uniform root development from the cutsurface.  The recommended length of stakes is 20 - 25mm with 5 or more nodes.

• Handling of Stakes:  Stakes should be planted soon after they are cut otherwise they get dehydrated and perform poorly.  If stakes must be stored for a few days (3-5 days) before planting, put them into transparent polyethylene bags.

• Time of Planting:  Planting should be done as soon as the rains become steady.  This varies from March to November in the rain forest, April to August in the derived savanna, May to July in the Southern Guinea savanna (SGS and July to August in the Northern Guinea savanna (NGS).

• Method of Planting: Stakes can be planted vertically (buds facing up with 2/3 of the stake in the soil, horizontally (whole stake buried 3-5cm in the soil) or inclined (buds facing up with 2/3 of the stake buried in the soil at an angle of about 45  .)

          When stakes are planted vertically, tuberous roots bulk deep into the soil.  Although this gives 

          more stability to the plant against lodging, it makes harvesting very difficult.

          Stakes that are inclined on the ridge produce tuberous roots in the same direction.  The   

          inclination of the stem and roots provide a leverage which make harvesting easier than in the 

          other orientations.  In shallow and clayey soils, stakes should be inclined.  In the rain forest and           derived savanna, farmers incline their stake at planting. 

     

• Plant Population:  The optimum plant population for high root yield is 10,000 plants per hectare obtainable when plants are spaced at 1 x 1m.  This population is seldom achieved at harvest due to losses caused by genetic and environmental factors.  In other to harvest a plant population near the optimum, an initial plant population/ha os 12,300 at 0.9 x 0.9m is recommended.  Plant spacing and population will vary depending on if cassava is planted sole or in association with other crops.

• Intercropping: Cassava is compatible with many crops when intercropped.  The best intercrops of cassava in Nigeria include maize, melon, groundnut, cowpea and vegetables. Other less important intercrops in the South-south and South-eastern parts of Nigeria include yam, cocoyam, sweet potato, plantain and banana.  Non or high branching varieties of cassava are best for intercropping.  Profuse and low branching varieties will shade light off the intercrops.  In medium and large-scale farms, maize is the best intercrop.