Cassava (manihot exculentus) is a root crop that has bearing upon the lives of millions
in the developing countries. Cassava is the staple food of about 500 million people
globally. It is a crop, which tolerates drought and low fertility and is primarily grown by
small-scale farmers in areas with marginal soils or unfavorable climates. It is estimated
that cassava tubers yields more calories per unit area than any other crop in the world,
except perhaps sugar cane. The leaves of the plant provide vitamins and proteins when
eaten as vegetables. This promising tropical plant originated in Central America and
was brought to West Africa in the sixteenth century.
Cassava cultivation.
Cassava is vegetatively propagated; therefore, the stems of the plant are used as
cuttings. The time taken to mature i.e. the period of growth from planting to
harvest varies between 12-18 months.
Cassava grows best on light sandy loams or on loamy sands which are moist, fertile
and deep, but it also does well on soils ranging in texture from the sands to the clays
and on soils of relatively low fertility. In practice, it is grown on a wide range of soils,
provided the soil texture is friable enough to allow the development of the tubers
In general, the crop requires a warm humid climate. Temperature is important, as all
growth stops at about 10ºC. Typically’ the crop is grown in areas that are frost free the
year round. The highest root production can be expected in the tropical lowlands, below
150 m altitude, where temperatures average 25-27°C, but some varieties grow at
altitudes of up to 1 500 m.
The plant produces best when rainfall is fairly abundant, but it can be grown where
annual rainfall is as low as 500 mm or where it is as high as 5 000 mm. The plant can
stand prolonged periods of drought in which most other food crops would perish. This
makes it valuable in regions where annual rainfall is low or where seasonal distribution
is irregular.
Cuttings are planted by hand or by planting machines.The cuttings are planted on flat
soil or on ridges.Cassava is usually planted at the beginning of the rainy season
Experience has shown that, from the standpoint of starch production’ the development
of the cassava plant is most profitable when planting takes place at the beginning of a
humid period.