Basic Knowledge in Agriculture #7

Cassava, a very vital farm product in the world.

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

Cassava as been one of the crucial farm product that serves life both for consumption and commerical aspect, it has play a major role in many varieties of food production such as fufu processing, starch, cassava flax (Editan iwah), flour, Garri, pudding, cassava bouns(Akara iwah) and many more.

This staple crop, Manihot esculenta can be differentiated in terms of yield, disease resistance as show below;

√ Based on Yield

• Low-yielding varieties: This is a type of cassava varieties that goes below 20 tons per hectare, such varieties is seen in the 'Local' or 'Traditional type of cassava with a low-yeilded potential.

• Medium-yielding varieties: As the name implies, this type of Varieties has a moderate yield potential with tons per hectare ranging from 20-30.

• High-yielding varieties: High-yielding are known to have a high yield potential such as the 'TME 204' and 'TMS 30572' with tons often exceeding 30 tons per hectare.

√ Based on Disease Resistance

Disease resistance in crop is important as it will help to provide safety for food, reduce diseases that can affect the crop and increased crop yields. Here we have;

• Cassava mosaic disease (CMD: These Varieties provide a bred resistance to various diseases affecting cassava.

• Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD): This is another type of resistance, developed to resist diseases that can affect cassava in the farm system.

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

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Common Pest

S/N	Pest	Control
1.	Cassava hornworm	hand- prick, spinosad insecticides
2.	Cassava Green Mite (CGM)	insecticidal soap
3.	African Root and Tuber Scale (ARTS)	neonicotinoids, lady beetle
4.	Cassava Mealybug (CM)	Anagyrus lopezi

Common Diseases

S/N	Disease	Control
1.	Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD)	Practice GAPs
2.	Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD)	Use resistant varieties or control vectors of the disease
3.	Leaf Spot	Use of fungicides such as copper or chlorothalonil
4.	Root Rot	Practice good drainage

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

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Post-harvest handling and processing techniques of cassava tubers has contributed in many ways to improve economic values, security and food maintenance.

*** The Post-Harvest Handling***

• Harvesting: The process of harvesting Cassava is by used of hand or diggers and it is normally harveted from the period of 6-12 months after planting.

• Cleaning: After harvesting, tubers are wash to remove debris and dirt.

• Sorting and Grading: Sorted and grading of cassava tubers are done according to the size, shape, and the quality.

• Drying: This is the process carryout to prevent the tubers from spoilage.

*** The Processing Techniques***

Casassava products has many ways in which human can benefits from and some of the ways are as follows;

• Cooking and Boiling: Many human enjoy Cassava tubers through cooking or boiled.

• Fermentation: The process of Cassava tubers fermentation can be done to achieve products such as garri or cassava beer.

• Drying and Milling: Cassava flour which can be use for animals feed, baking and industrial application is through drying and milling process technique.

• Starch Extraction: Many industrial application like food processing, textile manufacturing, paper application extracted starch from Cassava tubers to have a smooth applications production.

• Ethanol Production: Cassava tubers can also be used to convert into ethanol, a biofuel that can serves as a substitute for gasoline.

*In conclusion, the used of cassava tubers cannot be overemphasized as it is used to achieve various purposes in the world.

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