5-year research aims to minimise weeds on cassava farms

 Cassava farmers will soon smile as the five-year effort which began in 2014 to minimise the menace of weeds on cassava farms is nearing completion.

This was the view of scientists who met this week this at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to review the Cassava Weed Management Project which is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates’ Foundation.

Dr Alfred Dixon, project leader, said the project seeks to address weed menace and increase cassava productivity in order to minimise the drudgery of hand weeding by farmers, a task that is particularly reserved for women and children.

Declaring that the prosperity of Nigeria must be a collective effort, Dixon said weeds contribute between 50 per cent and 90 per cent in yield losses to cassava farmers because weed control takes between 50 per cent and 80 per cent of labour budget.

Dr Hauser Stefan, a member of the Project Team, said the project is employing the best agronomic practices and mechanical weed control options. He said the project is also applying safe and environmentally friendly herbicides, integrated weed control measures to address weed challenge while preserving the natural resource base.

“Working with international and Nigerian engineers, the project tested two types of motorized mechanical weeders from Africa-Rice Centre for testing in cassava farming systems.

“With improved weed management technologies, yields are more than doubled from the current average of 14 tonnes per hectare,” he said.