Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management

Weed-free Fields, Bountiful Yields!

The "Six Steps Cassava Weed Management" technology is a comprehensive solution to the persistent issue of weed encroachment in cassava fields across Sub-Saharan Africa. By offering a decision support framework that covers various key control measures, it empowers farmers to keep their cassava crops free of weeds, resulting in significantly higher root yields. This innovative approach is adaptable to the diverse agricultural conditions and resources of small-scale farmers, making it a valuable tool for increasing cassava productivity and improving food security in the region.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

9•7

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

Adults 18 and over: Positive medium

The poor: No impact

Under 18: Positive low

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Problem

Weed Encroachment: Cassava fields across Sub-Saharan Africa are often overrun by weeds, as farmers generaally do not take adequate and timely measures to keep weed covers low.
Slow Canopy Development: The planting arrangement of cassava and its slow canopy development make the crop susceptible to encroachment by weeds in the first 10-16 weeks of cultivation.
Nutrient and Water Competition: When weeds are abundant on farms, they consume significant nutrients and water from the soil, severely reducing the yield of cassava roots.
Complex Weed Challenge: The diversity of weed types, including grasses, broad leaves, and even bushy plants, requires a multifaceted approach.
Resource Availability: The availability of equipment and herbicides can be a limiting factor for some small-scale farmers.

Solution

Improved Yield: By effectively managing weeds, cassava farmers can achieve significantly higher root yields, often exceeding 20 tons per hectare, compared to the national average of 9 tons per hectare.
Comprehensive Approach: The technology provides a holistic strategy that includes site selection, weed identification, herbicide application, tillage operations, plant spacing, and post-emergence weeding, ensuring thorough weed control.
Customized to Local Conditions: It is adaptable to diverse agricultural contexts, from sub-humid savannahs to highlands and humid lowlands, addressing various forms of weed encroachment.
Enhanced Decision Support: The "Six Steps" approach offers decision support and recommendations aligned with prevailing conditions, helping farmers keep their cassava crops free of weeds and achieve high root yields.
Resource-Friendly: Small-scale farmers can implement this strategy using simple and cost-effective equipment and herbicides, making it accessible to a wide range of farmers.

Key points to design your project

The “Six Steps Cassava Weed Management” technology eases women’s workload, promotes efficient resource use, and aligns with SDGs 2, 5, and 13 by increasing yields, promoting gender equality, and fostering environmentally friendly practices.

To integrate "Six Steps Cassava Weed Management" in your project:

Educate farmers about the technology’s benefits on cassava yields and resilience.
Distribute the decision support tool and recommendations via local extension agencies or farmers’ own communication channels.
Ensure farmers have access to small loans to help offset initial investments for herbicide application and labor.
Plan for site selection, slashing of vegetation, land clearing with herbicides, ploughing and ridging of fields, planting, and weed control.
Simple and cost-effective equipment and herbicides are required, making it accessible to a wide range of farmers.

Digital tools like the Akilimo, IITA Herbicide calculator and the Cassava e-market also enhance the effectiveness of this approach. The "Six Steps" approach works well with other cassava cultivation practices such as the use of disease-resistant cassava varieties, golden cassava varieties for nutrition, high dry matter and starch content varieties for industrial processing, and the use of specially blended fertilizers.

Key partners for implementing this technology in Africa include the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) who has expertise in cassava research and development, and can provide valuable support in the implementation of the "Six Steps" approach.

30–50 %

Root yield increased

20-30 USD/ha

Cost for herbicide application

28-46 USD/ha

Cost for weed removal labor

IP

Open source / open access

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
Democratic Republic of the Congo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted