Agricultural stakeholders and policymakers in Nigeria are calling for the adoption of the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and best planting practices toolkit.
Toolkit was developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for the use of improved cassava varieties to increase productivity.
A statement issued by Mr Godwin Atser, the Digital Extension and Advisory Service specialist explained that IITA researchers presented field reports on how farmers were applying the six steps to cassava weed management and best planting practices toolkit.
According to him, IITA advised government authorities in the country to give priority to technologies that would enhance the productivity of cassava to reduce the country’s food and raw materials.
Atser said that Nigeria would attain its true potential in cassava by adopting the Six Steps…toolkit and other agronomic practices with the use of cassava stems of improved varieties.
He called for adequate policies and technologies that could raise the productivity of cassava to 40 metric tonnes per hectare to compete with other cassava exporting countries like Thailand.
“The challenges posed to cassava production could be surmounted through the adoption of appropriate policy measures, deployment of efficient technologies, improved agronomic practices
“And cropping systems that would take maximum advantage of new and improved varieties, which could be easily adopted by farmers”.
He said that poor weed management, agronomy and the low use of improved varieties had been the bane of cassava productivity in the country.
He advised governments to “step back from policies that disrupt the seed system”, and help farmers adopt the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and Best Planting Practices toolkit.
He stressed that the impact of poor weed management and agronomy stretched beyond agriculture into other sectors of life including health and education.
