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https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/com/technologies/mandiplus-cutting-dipping-in-insecticides-for-management-of-cassava-whiteflies
Dip once, Defend for months – MandiPlus controls whiteflies, reduces viruses and boosts cassava yield
MandiPlus is a special treatment for cassava cuttings (the pieces used to grow new cassava plants). It helps farmers use shorter cuttings without losing plant growth or the amount of cassava they harvest.
The way it works is by soaking the cuttings in a mix of insecticide, fungicide, and a sticky paint-like substance. This coating protects the cuttings from insects and diseases, especially from whiteflies and viruses that can harm the plants. After soaking for about an hour, the cuttings are dried for a short time and then planted as usual.
MandiPlus makes cassava planting cheaper, faster, and safer. It helps the cuttings grow better, reduces damage from pests and diseases, and leads to more cassava being harvested. This technology is designed to help small farmers get better and healthier plants with less effort and cost.
This technology is pre-validated.
Open source / open access
Whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) damage cassava plants by feeding on them: Whiteflies feed on the sap of cassava plants, weakening them and causing direct damage. Their feeding causes leaves to yellow, wilt, and drop prematurely, which impairs plant growth and reduces overall productivity.
Whiteflies spread viral diseases like Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD): These tiny insects are vectors that carry viruses from infected plants to healthy ones. CMD and CBSD are the two most damaging diseases in cassava; both are spread primarily by whiteflies, accelerating the spread of infections across fields and regions.
CMD and CBSD cause yield losses of up to 50% or more in affected cassava crops: Infected plants suffer stunted growth, leaf distortion, and root necrosis, greatly reducing both the number of cassava stems and the edible root yield. This translates into major harvest losses, directly affecting food availability and farmer incomes.
Whitefly outbreaks have led to recurrent famines and severe food insecurity in East and Central Africa: Large-scale whitefly infestations have devastated cassava crops, a staple food for millions. These outbreaks have contributed to repeated food shortages, malnutrition, and heightened vulnerability in many communities reliant on cassava for sustenance.
Economic losses from whitefly and virus damage exceed US$1.25 billion in several African countries: The combined effect of pest damage and virus disease reduces crop outputs, increasing the cost of inputs, food prices, and undermining economic stability, especially for smallholder farmers who depend heavily on cassava farming.
Increasing whitefly populations and virus spread worsen cassava production challenges: Factors such as climate change, changes in farming practices, and the planting of susceptible cassava varieties have led to rising whitefly numbers, making infestation and virus transmission more frequent and severe. This trend threatens the sustainability of cassava farming in affected regions.
Smallholder farmers face difficulty accessing healthy, high-quality planting material free from pests and diseases: Many farmers lack affordable access to disease-free cassava cuttings, which limits their ability to grow robust and productive crops. This challenge results in low yields and perpetuates cycles of poverty and food insecurity.
MandiPlus addresses these problems by protecting cassava cuttings during planting, reducing whitefly numbers and virus infection rates, and helping farmers grow healthier, more productive cassava crops.
Protective Coating on Cuttings: MandiPlus coats cassava cuttings with a mix of insecticide, fungicide, and a binder. This protects the cuttings from whiteflies and diseases right from the start, reducing pest damage and virus spread.
Use of Effective Insecticide and Fungicide: The insecticide Cruiser® 350FS targets whiteflies, cutting their adult populations by 85% and nymphs by 88%. The fungicide Maxim XL controls fungal diseases and cutting rot, reducing virus infection risks by lowering Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) incidence by 59% and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) by 46%.
Improved Germination and Plant Growth: By protecting cuttings from pests and diseases early, MandiPlus increases sprouting success and boosts plant growth, leading to a 119% increase in stem number and a 50% increase in root yield.
Shorter Cuttings Use: MandiPlus allows farmers to use shorter cassava cuttings without losing yield. This reduces the amount of planting material needed, lowering costs and making planting more efficient.
Ease of Application: The technology involves soaking cuttings in the solution, a simple process that is more targeted and efficient than spraying fields. This makes it practical for smallholder farmers to adopt without complex equipment.
Safety Measures Recommended: The use of protective clothing and proper handling reduces health risks to farmers applying the treatment, ensuring safe use in rural farming communities.
Scalable and Economically Viable: Designed with smallholders in mind, MandiPlus is affordable and scalable, making it accessible to farmers in virus-endemic sub-Saharan Africa, thus improving overall cassava productivity and farmer incomes.
For Manufacturers:
Potential customers include wholesale agro-input distributors, farmer cooperatives, development projects, government agencies, and NGOs.
Investment estimates for setting up production facilities (mixing and packaging) are expected to be around USD 0.5 – 1 million, depending on scale and location.
Raw material costs depend on prices of ingredients (insecticide, fungicide, binder) and labor, which should be factored into the business plan.
For Resellers:
For Users (Farmers):
Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable
This technology is not affected by weather
Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement
This technology can help farmers to increase cassava yield up to 50% in regions affected by whiteflies
Biodiversity: Not verified
Environmental health: Not verified
Soil quality: Not yet estimated
Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology’s development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology’s readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.
Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.
The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.
Read more about scaling readiness ›
Uncontrolled environment: validated
Common use by projects NOT connected to technology provider
| Maturity of the idea | Level of use | |||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||
| 8 | ||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Country | Testing ongoing | Tested | Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Testing ongoing | –Not tested | –Not adopted |
| Malawi | –No ongoing testing | Tested | –Not adopted |
| Tanzania | –No ongoing testing | Tested | –Not adopted |
| Uganda | –No ongoing testing | Tested | –Not adopted |
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.
| AEZ | Subtropic - warm | Subtropic - cool | Tropic - warm | Tropic - cool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arid | – | – | – | – |
| Semiarid | – | – | – | – |
| Subhumid | – | – | – | |
| Humid | – | – | – |
Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.
Control of the whitefly pest in cassava translates to increased yield and higher household income from sales.
Control of the whitefly pest contributes to increased yield and food availability.
Control of whitefly pest which causes damage through sucking sap from plants reduces water stress effects in plants.
Put on protective clothes like waterproof overalls, boots, gloves, a mask, and a head cover to stay safe.
Prepare the MandiPlus solution by mixing:
80 mL of the insecticide Cruiser® 350FS
160 mL of the fungicide Maxim XL 035FS
200 mL of white vinyl paint (this helps the mix stick)
10 liters of water
You can adjust the amounts if you need more or less solution.
Cut your cassava stakes into the size you want to plant.
Mix the solution well until it is even.
Put the cuttings in a plastic bag with holes or directly into a container.
Soak the cuttings in the MandiPlus solution for about 1 hour.
After soaking, take the cuttings out and spread them on a tarp or plastic sheet to dry for 15–20 minutes in the shade.
Once dry, plant the cuttings as you normally would, wearing gloves to protect your hands.
Clean all tools and containers used and wash yourself well after finishing.
Dispose of any leftover chemicals carefully, away from water sources, food, animals, and children, following local safety rules.
This process helps protect your cassava from pests and diseases, making your crop healthier and more productive.
Last updated on 1 September 2025
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.
MandiPlus: Cutting dipping in insecticides for management of cassava whiteflies
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/com/technologies/mandiplus-cutting-dipping-in-insecticides-for-management-of-cassava-whiteflies
Last updated on 1 September 2025, printed on 4 September 2025
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