Cassava: a dependable crop with many uses

Cassava is an important staple food for many people in Uganda especially in the north and eastern parts of the country.
1. There are different types of cassava; they differ in softness, sweetness, maturity period, vulnerability to pests and diseases, and tuber yields.
2. Cassava will need optimum temperatures ranging from 25°C-30°C and a minimum temperature of 18°C. Where the temperature is above 30°C, the cassava is most likely to give poor yields.
3. Cassava is the only crop that can tolerate poor soils though very infertile soil can as well lead to poor yields.
4. Cassava would better be planted with other crops such as beans to reduce weed invasion. It is better to weed cassava after three to four weeks.
5. The slowest growing cassava goes to between nine and 24 months or up to 36 months depending on the variety, climate and soil conditions but good quality cassava that has good soils and rainfall will mature at six to seven months.
6. The beauty with cassava is that farmers do not use seeds in planting but use cuttings. So after harvesting, you just keep the stems and plant them back.
7. Planting cassava in rows will help you during weeding. It is also advisable that as you are planting, slant the cuttings in the hole of not more than 5cm.
8. Figues from National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro) shows that cassava production in Uganda has increased from six million tonnes to 11.3 million tonnes per year.
9. Many things are developed from cassava. Among these are: Flour, adhesive, ethanol, animal feed, starch for sizing paper and textiles, and ingredients in industrial processes.
10. Cassava is believed to have originated from Brazil and Paraguay, but the varieties have spread throughout tropical areas of South and Central America and Africa over time.