How to grow popular crops in the home garden |20 June 2008

Creole name : Mayok                    
English name : Cassava
Family Name : Euphorbiaceae      
Scientific name : Manihot Esculenta

It was distributed to the Portuguese islands off the coast of West Africa in the latter half of the 16th century, Madagascar in the late 18th century and from there to parts of East Africa, Sri Lanka in 1786 and India before the end of the 18th century. It is now widely distributed in all tropical areas and in Seychelles from the early settlement.

Environmental response: Very tolerant to a wide variation in environment conditions, the tuber size is generally dependent on a combination of climatic and soil factors. The toxic content of the root tubers may be related to soil and climatic conditions and stage of maturity.
 
Sandy or sandy loam soils are preferred, but the crop can be grown on almost any reasonably fertile soil which is not subject to waterlogging. The crop has a relatively high demand for potash, and excessively fertile soils may result in high stem and leaf production at the expense of tuber production. Some cultivars are extremely drought-resistant, and most crops are grown in areas where the rainfall varies from 500-2500 mm per annum. High humidity encourages growth, even when the soil water content is relatively low.

Suitable areas for growing are from sea level up to 400m. Land preparation involves weeding, tilling (with a hoe and fork), ridge formation (preferably with a hoe) and manuring with semi-decomposed farm yard manure or compost at a rate of 20-25kg per 10m².

Eight to 10 healthy cuttings are removed from a 7-8 month old crop and planted 60cm apart.

After planting, water the cuttings frequently up to the 10th day. Ensure that the soil is water-soaked. Normally cassava is harvested nine months after planting.

Storage: Once harvested, tubers deteriorate rapidly and can normally be stored for only two days before beginning to decay.