HOW TO MAKE WEALTH IN CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS HOW TO MAKE WEALTH IN CASSAVA FARMING BUSINESS | Page 8

A COMPREHENSIVE & PRACTICAL GUIDE ON HOW TO START CASSAVA FARMING & PROCESSING BUSINESS By: Micheal B. O. CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CASSAVA FARMING TEMPERATURE Cassava is a typical tropical plant. For this reason, it is most productive between 15 degrees North and 15 degrees South latitudes. In general, the crop requires a warm, humid climate. Temperature is important, as all growth stops at about 10 °C. The crop is typically grown in areas that are frost-free all year round. The highest tuber production can be expected in the tropical lowlands, below an altitude of 150 m, where temperatures average 25 °C and 29 °C, but some varieties grow at altitudes of up to 1500 m. As a tropical crop, it is a short-day plant. More than 12 hours of daylight can cause delays in tubering (starch storage) and eventually low yields, while short light periods enhance flowering. WATER The plant produces best when rainfall is fairly abundant, but it can be grown where the annual rainfall is as low as 500 mm but well-distributed and 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 the annual rainfall is low or where seasonal distribution is irregular. In tropical climates the dry season has about the same effect on cassava that a low temperature has on deciduous perennials in other parts of the world. The period of dormancy lasts two to three months and growth resumes when the rains begin again. It is a valuable crop where rainfall is uncertain. If moisture availability becomes low, the plant will cease to grow and shed some older leaves, reducing the transpiration surface. When moisture is available again, growth is resumed and the plant produces new leaves. Water Management: Once established, cassava can grow in areas that receive just 400 mm of average annual rainfall. But much higher yields are obtained with higher levels of water supply. Hotlines: 09090040011, 09031617999. 8. E-mail: [email protected]