The Cassava Compact of the African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (AfDB-TAAT) is using the recommendations of the IITA Cassava Weed Management Project as part of its Good Agricultural Practices in cassava production. The IITA-CWMP recommendations which have been put in a toolkit known as the Six Steps to Weed Management in Cassava Production is helping farmers to more than double the national average of about 10 tons per ha to more than 20 tons per ha.
Once the steps are carefully followed, farmers are guaranteed of bumper yield from cassava cultivation. The Six Steps to Weed Management in Cassava Production comprise recommendations based on a five-year research work on cassava covering areas such as agronomy—variety, tillage, and plant spacing, and the use of integrated weed control involving either of the following—mechanical and chemical weed control.
Dr Alfred Dixon, Project Leader, IITA-CWMP said the adoption of recommendations from the IITA-CWMP was a welcome decision.
“We are glad to share the good work and findings of the project with partners,” he added.
The Cassava Compact of the African Development Bank (AfDB) funded Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT), plans to reach thousands of cassava farmers in Africa with best-bet technologies in cassava production to help narrow the productivity gap.
TAAT as simply called is a strategy of the AfDB – Feed Africa Program that is seeking to scale out proven technologies to farmers on the Continent.
In Nigeria, the Cassava Compact will reach 5000 cassava farmers in year one.
Cassava Compact Coordinator, Dr Adebayo Abass said the project will work with the IITA-CWMP project by adopting both its research findings and scaling out approach to reach thousands of farmers.