Mechanized Cassava Planting and Harvesting

Empowering Cassava Farmers: More Yield, Less Labor, Better Quality

Mechanized cassava planting and harvesting technology is a specialized machinery of two-row planters and harvesters, typically operated by tractors. This technology significantly improves the efficiency of cassava farming by reducing labor requirements, increasing productivity, and minimizing root damage during harvesting. It not only addresses the labor bottleneck associated with manual planting and harvesting but also plays a vital role in increasing cassava yields, making cassava farming more competitive, and reducing production costs.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 7/9

Project adoption1

Technology integrated in the ENSURE project.

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive low

Under 18: Positive low

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Moderately adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Low cassava productivity: Low average yields constrain the production potential and competitiveness of the cassava sector.
Labor intensive production: Manual planting and harvesting require significant labor and limit the efficiency of cassava farming.
Limited production capacity: Labor bottlenecks can restrict the area that farmers can effectively plant and harvest.
High production costs: Heavy dependence on manual labor increases the cost of cassava production.
Root damage and losses: Manual harvesting can cause significant root damage and reduce the quantity and quality of harvested cassava.
Limited mechanization: Insufficient use of mechanized equipment can constrain improvements in productivity and efficiency across cassava production systems.

Solution

Higher cassava productivity: Mechanized production can support higher yields, particularly when combined with improved varieties, appropriate fertilizer use, and weed management.
Reduced labor dependence: Mechanized planting and harvesting reduce the large workforce required for manual operations.
Greater production capacity: Mechanical equipment allows farmers to plant and harvest larger areas more efficiently.
Lower production costs: Mechanized operations can reduce the cost associated with manual planting and harvesting.
Reduced root damage: Mechanical harvesting minimizes damage to cassava roots and improves harvest quality.
Strengthened sector competitiveness: Increased productivity and more efficient production can improve the competitiveness of the cassava subsector.

Key points to design your project

The Mechanized Cassava Planting and Harvesting technology offers an efficient solution for planting and harvesting cassava, enhancing productivity while reducing labor requirements and costs. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2, 5, and 13 by improving agricultural productivity, potentially alleviating women's workload, and promoting sustainable land use practices.

To integrate this technology into your project, consider the following steps and requirements:

Promote the mechanized cassava planting and harvesting technology through demonstration sessions at the community level.
Provide training to operators on the maintenance and operation of the machinery.

-The farmer must have access to suitable farmland of adequate size in an agro-ecology that is suitable for cassava growing.

-The components of mechanized cassava production include land preparation, cassava stakes, mechanical planting, pre-emergence herbicide and its application, post-emergence herbicide and its application, fertilizer and its application, other forms of weeding, mechanical harvesting and transportation of fresh roots, and other miscellaneous activities.

Evaluate the size and number of units needed for your project, considering the cost of mechanized planting (13 USD/ha) is relatively lower than manual planting (29 USD/ha). Harvesting cost under mechanized operation (25 USD/ha) is lower than under manual operation (61 USD/ha).. Factor in delivery costs, import duties, and taxes, considering the technology's sourcing from countries like Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia.

Engage a team of trainers to provide comprehensive training and post-training support for technology usage and maintenance. Develop communication materials such as flyers, videos, and radio broadcasts to raise awareness about the technology.

Collaborate with agricultural development institutes and fleet managers to implement the technology in your country.

13 USD/ha

Cost of mechanized planting

25 USD/ha

Cost of mechanized harvesting

IP

Open source / open access

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.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 7 out of 9

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

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
ENSURE Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension	Kenya Rwanda Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo South Sudan Uganda Tanzania	Direct: 3,000,000	13.14 million 2024–2027	149,940 farmers trained 9,996 Training 2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected 350 agent trained

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

ENSURE
Enabling Environments for Sustainable Regional Agriculture Extension

Kenya
Rwanda
Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo
South Sudan
Uganda
Tanzania

Direct: 3,000,000

13.14 million

2024–2027

149,940 farmers trained
9,996 Training
2→3.5 tons/ha cereals production expected
350 agent trained

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
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.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 5: gender equality

Goal 13: climate action

The steps involved in mechanized cassava planting and harvesting are:

Mechanical Planting:

Farm Preparation: Prior to mechanical planting, prepare the farm for cassava cultivation.
Choose the Planter: Select a two-row or four-row mechanical planter designed for flat ground.
Tractor Selection: Ensure you have a tractor with a minimum power of 90 hp (67.14 kW) to operate the planter.
Stake Cutting: Install a power take-off (PTO) driven circular saw to cut cassava stakes into cuttings, typically ranging from 14 ± 3 cm to 149 ± 3 cm in length.
Planting Depth: Maintain a planting depth between 60 and 100 mm below the soil surface.
Spacing: Plant cassava with a row spacing of 700 mm, and no ridges are needed for this model of planter.

Mechanical Harvesting:

Select the Harvester: Choose a two-row or four-row harvester, similar to the planter, for mechanical harvesting.
Tractor Requirements: Ensure you have a tractor with a minimum power of 120 hp (89.52 kW) to operate the harvester.
Digging Depth: Maintain a digging depth between 300 to 400 mm.
Harvesting Rate: Mechanical harvesting can achieve a rate between 0.3 and 0.5 hectares per hour (ha/h).