Cassava Farming In Nigeria

Pre-production and production activities in agricultural business in Nigeria 

Let us, take you through the cassava crops farming practices in Nigeria economy then We can also learn the understanding of land and soil preparation, planting season, planting methods, crop protection, crop management, irrigation system, weather climate, pest control and climate ventilation.  And we can also look at the harvesting and post harvest activities at the end of this article. My readers should be able to understand the cassava pre-production and production activities in cassava farming in a national economy.

Cassava crops protection growers must be able to manage crop during farming season. Let us go through this cassava crop farming practices together and how seriously it can increase households food consumption, economy growth, increasing national food consumption because we produce what we eat and we eat what our farm produces. “Operation feed the Nation’s, No farms, No food. 

Your cassava crop farming will boom! When you consider adopting the best possible practices that’s why we put together all you need to know, learn about cassava farming opportunities in Nigeria and various ways to increase farmland harvest for profitability. You must be able to manage your crops and livestock farming efficiently so your pre-production and production activities will be very profitable at the end of the farming season.

Vico Farms Plc 

Article Table Of Content:

1. Cassava Farming 
2. Good Land Preparation 
3. Cassava Varieties
4. Criteria For Selection Of Variety
5. Cassava Planting 
6. Methods to plant cassava stem cuttings

Cassava Farming 

i. Cassava has ability to grow on poor soils majorly because it has an extensive root system and uses plant nutrition which are not easily accessible to other crops. In traditional farming, without fertilizers, farmers can obtain yields of 5-6 tons on soils that would not support other crops.

ii. For healthy cultivation, it is advisable to make use of fresh stem cuttings from mature plants which are simply the

best for planting. Cassava stem cuttings are vulnerable to adverse climatic conditions, pests, and diseases If exposed to sunlight, cuttings dry and lose viability.

iii. Excessive moisture causes sprouting or rotting, and this slows down the initial development and it (sprouts) makes cassava susceptible to weed competition in the first 3-4 months However, for good growth and yields, cassava requires light textured and well drained soils containing sufficient moisture and a balanced amount of plant nutrients. Under such conditions, yields of 40-60 tons/hectar are possible

regular weeding is required till the crops are able to form canopy and reduce weed infestation. Cassava farming depends on soil type and drainage, the field may be prepared as mounds, ridges, flat-tilled, or zero-tilled. Where mechanization is available, the land is ploughed and harrow to a depth of 25cm. However, planting on flat soil,

requires cuttings directly into the land. 

iv. Land clearing must be done manually or mechanize way at the right time, preferably during the dry seasons to allow good use of vegetative decomposition. 

Good Land Preparation Involves

i. Loosening of the soil to allow infiltration/circulation of air and water.

ii. Decomposition of organic matter in the soil.

iii. Well-prepared soil promotes living micro-organisms and the development of roots, including cassava roots, which

can reach a depth of up to 20 cm soil for the cassava crop therefore needs to be prepared to a depth of at least 30 cm.

iv. Appropriate techniques and materials (farm tools) must be

adopted depending on the capacity farming practices and whether or not cassava is grown directly in the field, on ridges or hills. 

Cassava Varieties

i. TME-419

ii. TMS-30572

iii. NR-8083

iv. TMS-011371

Criteria For Selection Of Variety

i. Farmers are always on the lookout for new varieties with improve characteristics, such as higher yield potential cassava stem.

ii. Good root characteristics (determined by dry matter content, nutritional value, output harvest results. 

iii. Appropriate selection tolerance

iv. Improved taste, market price

v. The ability to produce more planting material and long ground storability However, the (new) short-duration varieties have a relatively low yield potential, and high-yielding varieties are often poor in taste. Furthermore each variety perfoms differently in different situations depending on specific location and seasonal conditions, This highlights the importance of varieties being tested in a variety of agro-ecological zones in order that farmers can select those most likely to perform well in their specific location. 

vi. Variety Selection, farmers must bear these issues in mind when choosing varieties that fit and perform best under the prevailing farming conditions

Cassava Planting 

i. Planting in the first season would help reduce the impacts of the pre-production and production activities in cassava farming and challenges associated with the long dry seasons. 

ii. Africa cassava growers plant their farmland throughout the dry season period of the year as a mono-cropping but more often together with other crops such as mixed cropping planting. 

iii. It is very important to plant the seed of the associated crop at the beginning of the dry year season so that it can mature into a period that is sufficiently humid moreover to become fully matured and harvested during a relatively dry season period. 

iv. Cassava growing farmers are advised to plant improved, less infected varieties of root stem to boost production activities on farmland for cassava food processor. 

v. The planting density for cassava is 1x1m with one cutting per planting place.

vi. On clay soils the cutting are planted in an slope upper direction to a depth of 10cm and covered up to two-third or three-quarter.

vii. On Sandy soil the cutting stems are planted in horizontal position or cut into the land at a depth of 10cm to plant. 

viii. In principle cuttings should come from a multiplication field with healthy planting material. 

ix. It is recommended to keep at least cassava stems cuttings in appropriate condition to fill any gaps after planting. 

Methods To Plant Cassava Stem Cuttings

i. Cassava stems cuttings can be planted in a slanting or angular position in some case they are 10cm depth below the soil with 1/3 over the surface of the soil surface. 

ii. Ensure the buds point upwards, these is where the cutting sprout. 

iii. Ensure first planting during the dry season for best pre-production and production activities to maximize your outputs.