Cassava is one of the major staple crops grown in Africa. Proper practices before, during and after planting help maximize yield.
Before growing cassava, ensure that you have a good site for growing the cassava. For good yields, you need loamy or sandy soil. The site should not be water logged and should not be stony, not shallow and not sloppy. Observe the area carefully and identify the weeds around ie whether grasses, broad leaved, perennial or annual weeds because this affects the weed control measures.
Field operations
Before planting, make sure you have properly prepared your land. During land preparation, you can decide to either ridge the field or not. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The stems should be cut into pieces of about 25cm in length and planting should be done when the soil is moist.
Spacing of cassava depends on the purpose for which the cassava is being planted. If the cassava is planted for stems then, plant at a spacing of 1m between rows and 0.5m between plants while if the cassava is planted for its tubers, the spacing should be 1m by 0.8m.
Apply a pre emergence herbicide within 24 hours after planting to delay the germination of weeds.
After 2-3 weeks, do gap feeling to ensure that you have the right plant population. This is best done on time because if done late, the older cassava shades the young ones.
