Abstract:

To select a good site for cassava farm, look for an area with dense vegetation
cover, good soil texture, fertile soils, and flat or gently sloping land; also examine the
field history to plan for plant protection measures.
Improve the soil by manuring, mulching, and intercropping to encourage cassava
plants to grow vigorously and offset damage by cassava diseases.
To select good cassava varieties for planting, look for varieties with high dry matter,
good mealiness, good ground storability and which are well adapted to your area;
the variety should also bulk early and be easy to process.
To select healthy cassava stem cuttings, choose healthy cassava plants as sources of
planting materials; use stem cuttings taken from the middle, brown portions of the
stem and free of stem-borne pests and diseases.
To prepare cassava stem cuttings for planting, cut each stem cutting to a length of
at least 20-25 cm; use stem cuttings with about 5-8 nodes; treat stem cuttings
slightly infested with stem-borne pests by immersing them in heated water for 5
10 minutes, dipping them into a dilute pesticide solution, or by planting them horizontally.
To plant cassava stem cuttings properly consider the type of soil; prepare ridges
and mounds in areas where soil gets waterlogged; use minimum tillage in sandy soil;
plant cassava stem cuttings vertically in sandy soil; plant cassava stem cuttings at an
angle in loamy soil; plant cassava stem cuttings I meter apart from each other in
sole cropping; and in cassava intercrops make sure there is enough space for the