Six steps to better cassava yields: weed control and planting

Weeds are one of the main reasons cassava yields stay low. Cassava grows a leafy canopy slowly, so weeds can take over during the first 10–16 weeks. IITA's “Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and Best Planting Practices” tackles this, and farmers who follow it properly can expect root yields 15% to more than 50% higher than with their usual practice.

The six steps

1. Choose the right site. Pick land suited to cassava. The tool helps you judge the field and its weeds before you start.
2. Slash. Cut down the existing vegetation.
3. Clear before planting. Use a land-clearing herbicide before planting to kill the weeds that regrow.
4. Plough and ridge. Prepare the land well so the cuttings establish quickly.
5. Plant, then control weeds before they come up. Plant good cuttings at the right spacing (below) and apply a pre-emergence herbicide.
6. Control weeds after they come up. Keep the field clean, by hand, with hoes or with a post-emergence herbicide, until the cassava canopy closes.

Planting right

• Spacing: 1 m between rows and 0.8 m between plants, which gives about 12,500 plants per hectare (about 5,000 per acre).
• When: plant into moist soil, after two good rains.
• Cuttings: use healthy, disease-free stems from an accredited source, taken from plants about 10–12 months old.
• Gaps: replace cuttings that have not sprouted after 2–3 weeks.

Using herbicides safely

Use only herbicides registered in Nigeria, at the rate on the label, with a calibrated sprayer and protective clothing. The Six Steps tool includes a herbicide calculator to help you get the rate right. If you are unsure, ask our technical support team before you spray.

Watch IITA's short video on the six steps below, or join one of our trainings.