Step by Step Cassava Production in Nigeria

By Iyorkaa Nater

 

Site Selection

  • Choose a good soil with medium fertility and good drainage
  • Avoid stony, clayey or water-logged soils
  • Use a farm that has been well maintained
  • Use land that is not sloppy

Land Preparation

  • Clear the weeds with Glyphosate 3 weeks before tillage operations
  • Practice minimum tillage in sandy soils to conserve organic matter, and moisture, and to reduce soil erosion
  • In shallow or hard soils, make ridges or mounds to increase the topsoil volume per plant for a better establishment

Choice or Variety

  • Select planting materials from healthy cassava plants (9-15 months old) without stem or leaf damage from pests or diseases
  • Choose improved varieties with the highest and most stable yield performance in the particular farm locations

Cassava Varieties Available for Farmers in Nigeria

Variety Characteristics
Game – Changer High Yielding, High Starch Content
Hope High Yielding, High Starch Content
Obasanjo – 2 High Yielding, High Starch Content
Baba – 70 High Yielding, High Starch Content
Poundable Sweet Cassava, High Yielding, High Starch Content
TME-419 High Yielding, High Starch Content
TMS 30572 High Yielding, High Starch Content

 

Preparing healthy cassava stems for planting

  • Obtain stems for planting from mature plants 10–12 months old
  • Store under the shade for 2–5 days (never more than 2 weeks) before cutting and planting. This makes the stems sprout faster than when they are planted freshly cut from the field
  • Stems should be stored vertically on the soil under a shade. The distal end of the stems should touch the soil, which is moistened regularly, with the surroundings kept free from weeds
  • Handle the stems with care not to destroy the nodes that may result in losses. Do not make jagged cut surfaces or keep stems in the open (leading to drying)
  • Cut stems, with sharp tools, preferably secateurs or cutlasses, into 25-cm cuttings with 5–7 nodes

How to plant cassava cuttings

  • Cassava cuttings can be planted in a slanting or angular position (45o). In this case, the cuttings are buried in the soil with one-third above the soil surface. Ensure that the buds point upwards. This is where the cuttings sprout
  • Plant the cuttings at a spacing of 1 m × 1 m on the crest of ridges or mounds as conventionally recommended. This will give a plant population of 10,000 stands/ha
  • Vertical or angular planting is recommended in areas of high rainfall
  • Horizontal planting is better in dry areas

Weed control practices in cassava production

  • Weeds are controlled so that cassava grows and develops well.
  • Control weeds in the first 3-4 months after planting

When and how to apply chemicals

Pre-planting: Apply herbicides such as Glyphosate 7-10 days before planting

Pre-emergence: Apply herbicides such as Primextra Gold or Vigor at 4 liters per ha or Lagon at 1.25 liter per ha.

Do not apply pre-emergence herbicides on dry soil

Post-emergence: Use Fusilade Forte 150EC recommended at 3 L/ha at 12 weeks after planting, for grasses. Apply Gold, Basta, Fasinate under cassava canopy at label rate (spray) 8 weeks after planting (early post emergence) for broad leaved weeds. Avoid direct or drift damage to the crop

Fertilizer Application

Application of N-P-K 15-15-15 (15 bags) per hectare in three doses is recommended for higher yield. Ensure covering of applied fertilizers to avoid evaporation

  • First dose 3 bags per hectare at 4-6 weeks after planting
  • Second dose 3 bags per hectare at 10–12 weeks after planting
  • Third dose 3 bags per hectare at 16–20 weeks after planting

Harvesting

  • Harvest cassava roots when they are mature to have accumulated enough starch but have not yet become fibrous.
  • The optimum age when the starch and dry matter yields are highest is 9 – 12 months after planting, depending on the variety and the climate. Some varieties mature in 15 – 18 months. Extended cold season may delay the maturity of cassava
  • Cassava roots may lose the valuable starch, rot or become woody if not harvested at maturity
  • When harvesting, cut the roots from the stem leaving 2-5cm of the stuck on the roots

Transporting cassava roots

To avoid root deterioration and loss of quality, transport to the homestead, market or processing plant immediately after harvesting

How to transport cassava roots

  • Use wheel barrows or any other suitable container to transport roots in small quantities and short distances, such as from the farm to road side or bulking center where they will be loaded on a vehicle for long distance transportation.
  • Gently off load the roots from the wheelbarrow or container without causing bruises or damage to the roots
  • Vehicles transporting cassava a long distance should be covered with tarpaulin to avoid rapid moisture loss from the roots
  • Do not seat or put heavy objects such as vehicle tyre s on roots after loading.

Storing cassava roots

Cassava roots start deteriorating soon after harvesting. Internal discoloration and loss of marketing value occur if they are not cooked or processed within 24 – 48 hour of harvesting. Secondary fungi and bacteria infection may cause rot in untreated roots

Improved storage methods

  • Select a well-drained area, preferably shaded, and slightly sloping.
  • Dig trenches measuring 1 meter (m) wide and 30–40 cm deep. The length varies according to the volume of roots. A trench 1 m long can contain 70–80 kg of roots
  • Dig the trenches in such a way that the length is directed downhill
  • At the lower end of the trench, make a drainage ditch, at least 20 cm wide and 5 to 10 cm deeper than the storage trench
  • Arrange mature, undamaged roots inside the trench. Cover each layer with soil, preferably river- sand or sea- sand. Clay-loam soil can also be used if it is not too wet
  • Do not use heavy clay. Soil of this type could speed up root deterioration
  • Do not keep cassava in a waterlogged area because roots will rot easily.

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