Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #7

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What are the different types of cassava varieties, and differentiate them in terms of yield, disease resistance, etc

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Cassava (Manihot esculent) is an important crop in tropical and subtropical regions rated for its starchy roots.
There are different types of cassava which are

• Bitter Cassava
• Sweet Cassava
• Local Varities
• Improved Varities
• Drought-Resistant Varities

Recognition of the differences among these cassava types helps farmers make better decisions to manage their risks and make the most effective use of their yields.

Variety	Yield	Disease Resistance	Uses
Bitter Cassava	moderate to high yield depending on cultivation condition	Resistance to pests, vulnerable to cassava mosaic disease	Animal feed and industrial
Sweet Cassava	High yield	Vulnerable to cassava mosaic disease	flour, food and snacks
Local Varieties	Variable	Variable	for local markets and traditional dishes
Improved Varities	Produce a very high yield	better resistance to cassava mosaic disease and cassava Brown streak disease	Agribusiness
Drought-Resistant Varieties	decreased in optional conditions only stable in drought	Varing level of resistance to pests and diseases	Drought-prone regions

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List the common pests & diseases that affect cassava and how can they be controlled?

Here is the list of common pests and diseases affecting cassava with their control measures

PESTS

Cassava Mosaic Virus
Control measures: Use materials free from diseases when planting, avoid planting cassava in the same spot repeatedly and always check and remove infected plants.

Cassava Green mite
Control measures: it improves plant health, practices and good agronomics practices, initiates predatory mites and introduces horticultural oil or insecticide.

Root weevils
Control measures: practice crop rotation use insecticides and resistant cassava varieties

Cassava mealybug
Control measures: Remove and destroy infested plant debris, introduce natural predators to help fight pests and for severe infestations, use neem oil or insecticidal soap.

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Whiteflies
Control measures: Release natural enemies like parasitic wasps, and yellow sticky traps that can be used to monitor and lessen populations.

COMMON DISEASES
Anthracnose
Control measures: fungicides should be applied in needed quantity, resistance varieties should be used when available and good field hygiene and crop rotation should be practised

Cassava Brown Streak Disease(CBSD)
Control measures:infected plants should be checked for and removed, crop rotation should be practised and resistant cassava varieties should be used.

Fusarium Root rot
Control measures:Resistant varieties should be used and there should be proper drainage in the fields.

Cassava Bacterial Blight (CBB)
Control measures: bactericides that are copper-based should be used, and uninfected or disease-free material for planting and crop rotation should be practised.

With all these control measures being implemented pest and disease outbreaks will be successfully managed

What are some post-harvest handling and processing techniques of cassava tubers?

Post-harvest handling and processing techniques of cassava tubers are essential to improve market value and they involve the following;

Post-harvest handling

• Harvesting: cassava tubers should be handled gently to prevent cuts bruising or spoilage

• Clearing: use a brush to remove excess soil from the tubers, then wash with water and separate damaged ones to avoid spoilage

• Storage: cassava should be stored in a well-ventilated, cool, or dry place with a ranging temperature of 12 °C to 15°C, and cassava should not be stored for too longer than about 1 to 2 weeks.

Processing Techniques

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• Peeling: This is removing the outer skin of the cassava with a knife manually; this process reduces cyanogenic compounds.

• Chipping: this is slicing the peeled cassava into tiny chips and drying it for longer storage, for animal feeds or snacks.

• Drying: this can be done with sun or mechanical to remove the moist content for an extended shelf life

• Fermentation: This is done by soaking the cassava in water for several days and used to produce food like fufu and gari

• Marketing and distribution: There should be proper packaging and labelling of products with information on the content and expiry date.

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