6 Easy Steps To Cassava Weed Management

6 Easy Steps To Cassava Weed Management…

STEP 1: Site Selection
STEP 2: Slashing
STEP 3: Herbicide Application
STEP 4: Ploughing and Ridging
STEP 5: Planting
STEP 6: Weed Control

Site Selection
Always select a suitable field that is not very shallow, stony, not water-logged and not on a slope. Ensure there is presence of biological activity (earthworms or worm casts). These is an indication of good soils.

Land Clearing: Slashing
If your land is one with little vegetation and having different types of weeds, you can apply non-selective herbicide of your choice. Also, depending on the expanse of land, you can use manual labourers. But if your land is free from weeds, go ahead to ploughing and ridging.

If your land is one with bush/trees, slash and clear the field. Remove stumps if necessary. If you observed the presence of weeds on the land, you can apply non-selective herbicide of your choice. Also, depending on the expanse of land, you can use manual labourers. But if your land is free from weeds, go ahead to ploughing and ridging.

If your land is dominated by broad leaves and taller than 50cm i.e. knee height, slash and clear the field, remove stumps if needed. If the broad leaves are not up to knee height, apply necessary non selective herbicide.

If your land is dominated by grasses and the vegetation is taller than your knee height, slash, clear and allow to regrow for about 2 weeks. If the grasses are not up to knee height (50cm), apply necessary non selective herbicide.

Land Clearing: Herbicide Application
It’s advisable to apply a glyphosate containing herbicide at label rate. Wait for 2 weeks to allow a total kill by the herbicide.

Ploughing and Ridging
Ploughing and ridging can be expensive. If you envisaged a yield of at least 12 tonnes per hectare, you can go ahead and plough. Try to forecast that you cost of ploughing is lesser than your return on investment. If not, don’t plough or ridge.

If you intend to harvest in the dry season or your soil is high in clay and water-logged or controlling weeds can be difficult on your land, go ahead and ridge. If not, do not ridge.

Planting and Pre-emergence Weed Control
Plant cassava in moist soil after two good rains. Recommended planting for cassava is 1m between rows and 0.8m within row (or 1m x 0.7m if you expect low sprouting).

Spray pre-emergence herbicide within 24 hours after planting. Do not apply herbicide on dry soil.

Visit your farm regularly. Replace cuttings that failed to sprout after 2-3 weeks. Obtain disease-free cuttings from farmsquare.

Handpicked For You;
Popular Herbicides, How To Use Them.
Herbicide for Cassava Weed Control.

Post-emergence Weed Control
Conduct weeding each time weeds cover one-third of the land and reach the 4-6 leaf stage. Apply a post emergence herbicide, use a mechanical weeder or weed manually with a hoe or cutlass.

If applying a post emergence herbicide, use it to control portions of the land where the weeds are mostly grasses.

If the field/land contains mostly broadleaf weeds and grasses, glyphosate or glufosinate ammonium can be applied directly to weeds under the cassava canopy.

Do not use glyphosate or glufosinate ammonium if the cassava is less than 8 weeks old. Use manual weeding to control broadleaf weeds instead.

Glyphosate or glufosinate ammonium can be used later than 8 weeks. Always use a shield while spraying to avoid the product touching the green stems or leaves.

In your cassava weed management always alternate between herbicides to avoid resistant weeds.