Major factors influencing Cassava cultivation and impacts of weed management techniques on yield

Context : The impact of weed growth is one of the main factors reducing cassava productivity and producer profits.

Objective : This study is to identify the major constraints in cassava cultivation and to assess the impact of weed management strategies on the agronomic importance of weeds and on tuber production.

Methodology : 206 cassava producers were interviewed in their fields and an experiment was conducted on weed management practices.

Results : This study revealed that weeds followed by aulacodes are the main pests affecting cassava crops in the Mé region. The calculation of pest indices identified 37 weeds that are potentially harmful to cassava crops. Among these weeds, 8 have a partial harmfulness index (PHI) greater than 1000 and 29 have a PHI between 500 and 1000. In terms of experimentation, chemical weeding with oxyfluorfen in early post-emergence followed by manual weeding with a machete in the 16th week had the lowest recovery rates. In terms of average yields, plots that were chemically weeded in early post-emergence followed by manual weeding with a machete and those weeded three times with a hoe had the best yields.

Conclusion : Managing weeds at the right times and using appropriate methods can significantly reduce weed growth and increase cassava tuber production.