Rapid multiplication of cassava by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

liT A permi ts reproduction of this pocketbook fo r nonprofit purpo es. For commercial repr uction contact the llTA Information ervices Program. The foUowing people helped produce thi pocketbook: Olumide Ajayi Moyo Bolarin Paul Philpot Charles eteloma Adewale Tshola Anne Moorhead Ayorunde O yetunde Remi Yussuf Rainer Zachmann Printed by ited, Lago,

photographs, layout photograph , lay ut photographs, layout il.lustratio ns illustrations ed.iting editing layo ut editing coordination

ordsmithes Printing and Packaging Limigetia

ISBN 978-131-133-9 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Training nit

PMB 5320 lbadan igeria

Tel; (234-2) 241 2626 Fax: (234-2) 241 2221 E -mail: iita@cgnet.com

Rapid multiplication of cassava

ing Pr gram. fIT , Ibadan. IT

ti nal Jn 1 9 .R c 1 rp Ibadan.

igcria. __ pp.

ilation fthi p k tb k: Inlematirut fTr i al gri ultur [IT ). pid multipli ali n of . a a. ketb k. raining Program. LIT igeria. 6 1 pp.

Obj ectives This pocketbook is intended to enable you to • explain the principles of rapid multiplication • prepare ministem cuttings prout ministem cuttings in n ursery beds prout ministem cuttings in polythene bags • transplant, maintain, and harvest ministem cuttings • store and distribute stem cuttings

Contents 1 Principles of rapid multiplication 2 Preparing ministem cuttings 3 prouting in nursery bed 4 prouting in polythene bags WIthou t 'oil 5 Transplanting, field maintenance and harve ting 6 Sto :\ e and t\i, tribution

1 9

20 36 43

1 rinci les of ra "d multip icafon The tenn rn id multlpl icati n dc, cribt: a t ehniquc de el cd to 0 cre me lh p oblem flo multi hcati n rali Sin vegctatJ\' ly pr pagated cr p ' like a' -av<I

1:10

Multiplication ratio: cassava

The multiplicati n ratio i I: 10.

1:300 ~

Multiplication ratio: maize

In ntra 1, maiz plant hich yield ' a b with bout ed ha a multiplication ratio f I: ' 0 .

Thu .ca a ah alowmultipliealion ratio compared wlth maize. Rapid multiplication t chniquc h 1 to o reom th low multi Ii ation rati 11 r th b nefilof â&#x20AC;˘ g nnpl me aJuati n â&#x20AC;˘ g rmplasrn di tributi n eed multipli ati n

Germpla. m c\aluation During the hrccuing proCc~'i. it 1:-' ncce..,sar) to ~\'aluate the matcri ..tI in multilocLllional or on-fanll trials in s ral k aLi n.. Rapid multiplication tcchniques arc 1I<., U Lo pr dllec enough mal rial. for ..,uch lrial~ .

Germplasm distribution Veg LaLi el pr p gated fOp u h a. cava ann t be di tributed intemati nall unle . 0 nnpl m material h n ertifi d b planl h alth . rvi eâ&#x20AC;˘. Ti u ultur techniqu ar u d t lean dj a ed planu r int malional di tribuli n. Ra id multiplicali n te bnique applied to th ew heallb plan di tributed L national pr grams can gen rate enough material for 1 al e alualion.

eed multiplication Rapid multiplication te hniques can be used to multiply. [or example, new varieties re istant to di eases and pests such as a sava rn saie dis ase and cas ava green mite and al 0 to increa e tocks for distri-

bution.

2 Preparing ministem cuttings Mini tern cuttings are mall stem pieces, each with one or more nodes depending on the tern portion from which the cuttings are taken. Three types ofmini tern cuttings can be produced from a cassava tern: â&#x20AC;˘ hardwood cuttings â&#x20AC;˘ semimature cuttings â&#x20AC;˘ tip- hoot cuttings tip-shoot portion semimature portion

hardwood portion

utting lTom the hardw d portion may ha 1 r 2 node (hardw d mini tern cuttings).

utting IT m the mimature p rtion ha e n de ( mimature mini tern utting).

Cuttings from the tip portion may have 6-10 nodes (tip shoots or tip-shoot ministem cuttings). The number ofnodes on a cUtting is not fixed and depends,(}n factors such as internode length, stenHtiameter, plant age, and weather conditions dUring and after planting.

Ministem cuttings produced from a cassava plant

Ab ut 6~ 1 0 mini tern uttings can be produced fT rna cassa a plant.

Pr par hardw an utting. u. ing . hears rna h t .

em imalure mini tern at urs, hands w, r

TouJ-; mu ' l be sharp cl 'all.

cn urc that ut -ods;u'

Prepa re tip sh ots using clean . ecateu rs o r a 'h, rp knif .

trip off all leaves careful1 fr m tip sh lea ing the ounge t leaves.

,'".,"-

"./'

~'V

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axillary buds

,It' 1 Take care nor to damage the axill ry hud ..

Place each tip shoot in water immediatdy to prevent dehydration. Sprout ministem cuttings in weU-drained nursery beds near a water source, or in perfo. rated black polythene bags filled with garden soil (Section 3). You can also sprout semimature and hardwood mIDistem cuttings in polythene bags without soil (Section 4) .

Sprouting in nursery beds elect a well-drained, flat it for the nur ery bed, preferably near a s urce of water. 1ark Ul the length and width of each bed, en uring a n at arran ement.

, lect the \ idth ( f the nur cry bed <;0 that from either ide you an r ach [he ccmral p ninn If the bed. Dig up the oil with a man) k, pickaxe, or hoc.

a p d or hue, remove the soil fr m the a.rea b t\ cen t\ ' bed t (ill r rai the I cd ..

\\ Ilh

Flatten the top wi[h a gard n f( rk r rak . 111 height of dlc bed rna em. The an :a bctw en adjace nt

50 rn

~ rlde.

Hard od mini t m cutting Plant hardwo J cuttings horizontally, al a pa 109 of 10 em x 10 cm and a d pth of 4-5 cm. 0 110l plant cuttings to do t the urface, or the), will b c me exp d nd Jeh drated.

Place curongs that tw adjacent n de ar n the right and left ides.

A oid

ricnt::1ting one nOlle on II)P and on '

node belm,.

' ho ll ' Jcveloping from belm struggle to emerge an: weak, ,tml m. y bre<lk \\ hen transplanted, ' h )otS dcveloping from, nodc closer to the , oil . urfnce emerge (,ILlickl~ . nd an.

Semimature mini tern Plant emimature curtin of 10 cm x 10 em with curnn and the old eod

cuttings vertically at a pacin two-third of the buried in the il.

Tip-shoot mini tern cuttings Plant tip-sh t curtin !S in' the sam manner a. mjmature cuttings. at paCLn f em x 1 em, Bury tw -third of th curtings in the oil.

-houts

<lTC

itive

tl)

low humldu _ " ' at ' r

the tip shoots Ijghdy 3 time J ai l . Nor ery maintenance pply the following steps for nursery malO nan c.:: • • • • •

water immediateJy after planung water twic a day label the bed wee regular! cover cuttings expo cd dunng watering

Alternativ AllcrnatJ cl , you can plant mini lern cUluns.,'S in trong, black. polythene bags. Perf rate bags at the ides and bottom to allow drainage, and fill Wllh good quality garden oil. The planting pr ccdurc i similar t nurser bed.

Spr uting and e tabli hment lim tem cutting. (cspcci, lI) h rdw()od and emjmature cuttin!-,TS) prout - 10 days after

planting. Fibrous roo\.! dc\'c1op at the buried node. and at th (Ide

ends of th

uttings.

Later, . hoots emerge and develop lea

c..

)

-) .- . ~ . '" .

'1J ~

r~' ....

â&#x20AC;˘

Hardwo d cuttings give the high t e tabU hment, tip-sh t cuttings the lowe t. Tip h 0 prepared from field -growing plan u uall perf, rm po rJ becau e they are tender and deh drate r rot easily. Tip hoots taken fr m 12 week after plantin in the nur ery are Ie ensitive and can with tand environmental tres.

Multiplication jn the nur er Cut back young stems 8- 12 wcek - after planting cuttings in the nursery, and u c th resulting tip hoots f r further multipl.icati n. Y u can cut tip hoots se raj tim in a ar, pm ided you manage the ours r. carcfuJly.

Transplanting Ke p minisl '01 cuttings in the nur cry for 4-6 weeks b orc transplanting into h > Idd ( ection

Sprouting in polythene bags without soil

prouting in nur ery bed (ection 3) is effective and widely used. However, it has several disadvantages: • cuttings require 4-6 weeks before transplanting • soil transportati n, planting, and maintenance require labor prouting at low temperature lead to 10 se • soil may carry di ease-cau. ing [gam ms These di ad an es can b av ided b proutin m.i.nistem cuttings in pol thene bags without oil. The meth d i quick, inexpen ive, and c nvement.

Il owcvcr, lh m 路th< d i. only uirablc for hardwood and cmlmarure mmisLCm cuttinRS. Tip sh( ( t. , " hich arc l ' n kr. do not usually urvi\c the hip;h temperatures in the bas..~. Dip ministem cutting int), fun~lcide suopcninn. 13enJate (bcnomyl) ,nd Dcmo. an an.' uJtable broad- pcctrum fungicides.

Place ministems dircctly into p 'rforat 路d tJlcne bags.

I-

Tic bags with pieces f tcing, leaving ab ut one-third f the total pac mpty [or, ration. u can use vanou izes of bags as long as there is pace fo r a rali n.

Keep bags in a haded area r under a ro f.

High humicli r and temperature in the p I thene bags promote rapid and uniform pr utpr ut in 3-5 day. ome va.rieties ing. uttin rna require a t \I m re day. pr uted mini [ m cuttings e tabLi h well in the field.

Mirustem cuttmgs sprout\:d IJ1 bags without II can be planted dircctl into the field after 7-10 days. ' pr uting in b ad antages:

Wlth ut soil ha. adc:licional

• cuttin can be stored for a few days be£' (c planting • bags can ea il b carried b hand • cuttings can be used for mechanjcal plan tin

ransplanting, field maintenance, and harvesting Tran p lanting Transplanting in the dry . c. n rctlulrc. Irrigali n; in the rainy a on, irrigation i. u willy nm ncces ary. A\'oid watcrl ggcd field t I prevcnt low cstal Ii hmcnI due to poor aeraLi n amI poor roOI development.

4.1

Tran plant cuttings in a weU-prepared field al a pacing of either 1 em x 5 em r 50 em x 5 em.

irm the oil ar und ea h plant.

I .abel the plots indicaung variety, date of planting, and hcctarage covered b each van ty.

~r lranplanting,y u anc rthe oil ith pia! ti mu I h if a ai labJe. uri ng th dry eru n inigale th field befor la ing the pia! ti . Plant Ulti ng. thr ugh mall bol ul int th pia! tic .

Plastic mulch has several advantages; it • reduces labor requirement for weeding so you can manage larger areas of land for multiplication • reduces soil erosion • improves soil moisture conservation • enhances light distribution • promotes plant establishment and growth, particularly in the initial growth stages

However, plastic mulch has some disadvantages; it is • expensive and not easily available • difficult to dispose of

Field maintenance

After transplanting, proper field maintenance is essential for production of strong, healthy plants. During the first 10 weeks hoeor apply herbicide to control weeds.

With

ding i minimal. that d I p n ar th mall hI . PIa ti Jl1ul h pr d gr tho

Harvesting The obje tive or rapid multipli ation of cas a a i. to produ e planting material tem ). I fthe field i properly maintained, tem can be cut and supplied to fanner 6-7 months after transplanting. Do not uproot plants to harve t torage roots.

ut t m at a height of2 25 em a ve the gr und aft r en uring that stem are phy iologieally mature and fre f di. ea es and pe t .

The practl e 0 r I a ing rump tanding after utting the t ms i known rat nmg. era I hoots prout from each rump but leav only 2 or 3 ruch will matur into tern . Appl h rbicide and ertilizer to the rat n d fields. ut another et of terns again 6 month later. At UTA, as many a 3 t of tern ha b en harve t d from rat ned field . Th numb r of ets of tern that can b cut from a field i influenced by e eral factors including variety, oil type and fertility, weed control, and field maintenance.

Handle .,tem" with care wh n harvc. Ling, I ading. !Ian. I rting. and unJ ading 1 a\ id brui~ing. Brui.cd bud. ma n crde cI p inl .. h t..

ner harve l. tic th . Lcm. loo Lh r in bundle. . In ig ria. .. 3\ a:l m. ar . old in bundl . of 5 and cach l m i. I m long.

S orage a d distribu i n torage Long-term torage of cas ava terns is not o sible becau e terns dehydrate. terns are al 0 attacked by insect and di ease . Casava stem can be tored for up to 8 weeks in3ways.

1 Tie tems into bundle and t re upright in well-ventilated shed, or unuer a tree pr iding good shade. Insert th base of th stems in the soil and apply water to me oil.

2 In en ca a\ a tern upn hr im the il in a co I, x ell- 'haded area. In ert the tern , that th y lean on a tr n upp rt which h been tied h riz ntally b t\ een t\ tree , and ppJ ~ at r t the iJ.

t re stem h rizontall under a welld \' I ped tree.

• a id direct unlight and h t or c Id wind • en ·ure that bud face uP' ard ,hen tem are t r d vertically nl mature tem fr m healthy

Di tribUtiOD Distribution 0 cassava stems requires special effort. Some fanners may b able to collect terns at the sources of supply. Many fanners, however lack transport or are not aware ofthe existence ofsuperior varieties.

Planting material can be distributed through the foUowing channels: • government or donor-assisted agricultural projects trategically located multiplication centers • private and missi n agricultural projects • school farming projects • agricultural meetings, training cour es, farmers' field day , and agricultural shows • demonstration plots • multilocational and on-farm trials where the varieties are supplied to farmers for te ring • farmer-to-farmer distribution