Cassava

Introduction
• Introduction
• Manihot esculenta, commonly called is a woody shrub
• Origin: South America
• Family: Euphorbiaceae .
• Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions
for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.
• Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize.
• Cassava is a major stapple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people.
• It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.
• Nigeria is the world's largest producer of cassava, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch.
• Cassava is classified as either sweet or bitter. Like other roots and tubers, both bitter and sweet varieties of
cassava
contain anti-nutritional factors and toxins, with the bitter varieties containing much larger amounts. It must be
properly prepared before consumption, as improper preparation of cassava can leave enough residual cyanide to
cause acute cyanide intoxification, goiters, and even ataxia, partial paralysis, or death. The more toxic varieties of
cassava are a fall-back resource (a ‘’food security crop") in times of famine or food insecurity in some places.
• Farmers often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves
Climatical conditins
• Altitude: 0- 1500 m.
• Temperature: The optimum temperature range is 20-30°. Specific cultivars are necessary for successful cultivation at an
average
temperature of 20°.
Rainfall; Cassava is grown in regions with 500-6000 mm of rainfall per year. Optimum annual rainfall is 1000-1500 mm, without
distinct
dry periods.
Once established, cassava can resist severe drought. With prolonged periods of drought, cassava plants shed their leaves but
resume
growth after the rains start, making it a suitable crop in areas with uncertain rainfall distribution. Because of its drought
resistance, in
many regions cassava is planted as a reserve crop against famine in dry years.
• Soil
• Good drainage is essential for cassava; the crop does not tolerate water logging. Best growth and yield are obtained on fertile
sandy
loams. Very fertile soils encourage excessive foliage growth at the expense of storage roots.
• Cassava is able to produce reasonable yields on severely depleted or even eroded soils where other crops fail. Gravelly or stony
soils
cause problems with root penetration and are unsuitable. Also heavy clay or other poorly drained soils are not suitable.
• Soil pH: The optimum pH is between 5.5 and 7.5, but cultivars are available that tolerate a pH as low as 4.6 or as high as 8.0.
Cassava
growth and yield are reduced drastically on saline soils and on alkaline soils with a pH above 8.0. Reasonably salttolerant
cultivars have also been selected.
• Sunlight: plenty of sunlight which leads to high starch levels and yields
Is a short day plant as tuber formation occurs readily when the day length is less than 12 hours
• Breeding
• Breeding objectives
• High yields
• High starch levels
• Pests and diseases tolerance
• Quick canopy development
• High dry matter content
• High digestible crude fibre level
• Low hydrogen cyanide level (HCN)
• Tolerance to postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD)
Propagation and planting
• Propagation from storage roots is impossible, as the roots have no buds.
• Cassava is propagated through
seed – research work
Stem cuttings. The most suitable cuttings are;
• Selection of mother plant
 Healthy
 High yielding
 Maturity period
 Toxicity level
 Tolerance to biotic and abiotic factors
 Age of the mother plant: 8-14 months old
• Cut the stems with sharp tools like secateurs or cutlasses
• Length: 20-30 cm long. Long cuttings give higher yields than short cuttings. Select cuttings from healthy plants.
• Diameter: 20-25 mm
• Number of nodes 5-8
• Stem section: middle browned-skinned portion of the stems. Cuttings from older, more mature parts of the stem give better
yield than cuttings from younger parts,
• Store the cuttings under a shade for 2-5 days before cutting and planting. This makes them sprout faster than freshly cut
cuttings.
• The stems should be handled with care to avoid destruction of the nodes
• Cuttings slightly infested with pests can be treated by immersion in heated water (mixing equal volumes of boiling and cold
water) for 5-10 minutes just before planting.
The interval between cutting stems and planting should be as short as possible (not more than a couple of days)

Cassava

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cassava

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cassava

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction

You might also like