HOW TO MAKE WEALTH IN CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS HOW TO MAKE WEALTH IN CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS | Page 14

A COMPREHENSIVE & PRACTICAL GUIDE ON HOW TO START CASSAVA FARMING & PROCESSING BUSINESS By: Micheal B. O. FIELD LAYOUT AND DESIGN FOR CASSAVA FARMING The field layout should not have slopes of more than 8% and the field should not be in lowlying and flood-prone areas. The field may need to be graded to ensure good drainage. If cassava is planted on slopes, then it would be advisable to make the field across the slope, or slightly inclined to the contours so as to minimise soil erosion on the field. Spacing between the rows is about 80 cm to 100 cm, while spacing along the rows is usually 80 cm to 100 cm. However, this is mainly determined by local conditions. The number of plants per hectare varies in different regions between 10 000 and 15 000. PLANTING OF CASSAVA FARMING Cassava culture varies according to the purposes for which it is grown. The cassava is either planted as a single crop or intercropped with maize, legumes, vegetables, rubber, oil palms or other plants. Mixed planting reduces the danger of crop loss due to unfavourable weather conditions and pests as the risks are spread among plants with different susceptibilities. For selection purposes, cassava is raised from seed only. Seeds produce plants with fewer and smaller tubers than those of the parent plants and up to 50% of the seeds may fail to germinate. On the other hand, taking cuttings from the stalks of the plant is a better method as the cuttings rapidly and easily take root, producing plants that have identical characteristics to those of the parent plants. POST-PLANTING WEED CONTROL Where a total herbicide was not used before land preparation, it is recommended that a selective pre-emergence herbicide be applied within three days after planting. Five litres of Primextra is recommended /ha. Hotlines: 09090040011, 09031617999. 14. E-mail: [email protected]