increasing cassava productivity in the context of sustainable intensification

www.iita.org A member of CGIAR consortium

Increasing Cassava Productivity in the Context of Sustainable Intensification

Christine Kreye, Stefan Hauser, Kokou Kintche, Leon Nabahungu, Nhamo Nhamo, Veronica Uzokwe, Marie Yomeni

24th November 2015

(R4D Week 2015)


Increasing Cassava Productivity in the Context of Sustainable

Intensification

Christine Kreye, Stefan Hauser, Kokou Kintche, Leon Nabahungu, Nhamo Nhamo, Veronica Uzokwe, Marie Yomeni


Introduction

Background of cassava research at IITA • Cassava – one of IITA’s major mandate crops • Traditionally strong focus on breeding

• High yield potential • Pest and disease tolerance/resistance => Foundation for ISFM is available

Ag

ron

om

ic e

ffic

ien

cy

Current

practice

Germplasm

& fertilizer

+ Organic

resource mgt

+ Local

adaptation

Germplasm

& fertilizer’

+ Organic

resource mgt

Germplasm

& fertilizer

‘Full ISFM’Move towards ISFM

Increase in knowledge

Responsive soils

Poor, less-responsive soils

A

B

C


• Cassava agronomy in 4 major projects

• CIALCA - Consortium for the Improvement of Agriculture based Livelihoods in Central Africa (Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda; banana-, maize-, cassava-, and legume systems)

• SARD-SC - Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (multinational; cassava maize rice and wheat)

• Cassava weed management

• IFAD cassava/legume intensification

• Covering ISFM and SI aspects

• Improved varieties • Fertilizer application • (Legume) intercropping/organic resource management • Improved agronomic efficiency • Addressing local adaptation

Introduction

0

5

10

15

20

25

Variety Site System Tillage Fertilizer

Ca

ss

ava

fre

sh

ro

ot

yie

ld (

Mg

ha

-1)

TME 419

IntercropIdo

Moniya

TMS 30572

MonocropRidged

Flat

Fertilizer

Nil

p<0.0013 p<0.0163p<0.0001p<0.0001

p<0.0001


Agronomic efficiency and weeds Cassava weed management project

Stefan Hauser

Agronomic efficiency and root yields – in first season planted cassava

0

5

10

15

20

25

System Site Variety Fertilizer TillageUs

efu

l c

as

sa

va

fre

sh

ro

ot

yie

ld (

Mg

ha

-1)

Intercrop

p<0.0001

RidgeFertilizer

FlatNil

TME419

Ido

MoniyaMonocrop

TMS30572

p<0.0001p<0.0001

p<0.0010 p<0.0013


Agronomic efficiency and weeds Cassava weed management project

Stefan Hauser

Agronomic efficiency and root yields – in second season planted cassava


Intercropping in SARD-SC RTB/SARD-SC

Veronica Uzokwe

Intercropping cassava, maize and legumes in Zanzibar, Tanzania


Local practice: • Intercropping cassava and

legumes without specific arrangement

Intensification components: • Line arrangements • improved cassava variety • short duration legume • wide inter-row spacing • second legume • fertilizer application

ISFM and legume intercropping

CIALCA

ISFM and Cassava / legume intensification Example of South-Kivu, DRC as take home message?


Cassava yields in South Kivu, DRC

Testing cassava/legume intensification Humidtropics, DRC, South Kivu, and Southwest Nigeria

Leon Nabahungu

• Local practice: broadcasting cassava intercropped with beans • => intervention improves yield

• Organized planting and density • Fertilizer application • Improved varieties

• Varietal choice improves yield in intercropping

Cas

sava

fre

sh r

oo

t yi

eld

[t

ha-1

]


Steep slopes in South Kivu; effect of interventions on soil erosion

Testing cassava/legume intensification Humidtropics, DRC South Kivu and Southwest Nigeria

Leon Nabahungu

Slight slope

Steep slope

Soil

loss

[t

ha-1

]



Christine Kreye

Transfer of the approach to Southwest Nigeria? Results of demonstration trials – cowpea yield

• 3 demonstration trials with 2 replicates each for fertilizer application • Second legume (soya) failed • In on-farm trials during WS, very poor grain quality; soya failed also

2 m spacing

Erect

1 m spacing 2 m spacing

Branching

n.s. Pr > F : 0.03)



Christine Kreye

Transfer of the approach to Southwest Nigeria? Results of demonstration trials

• Second season „dry season“ trials • 2 demonstration trials with 2 replicates each • Treatment is not significant (Pr > F : 0.08)

10 000 plants ha-1

1 m spacing 2 m spacing No legume Legume No Fertilizer Fertilizer No Fertilizer Fertilizer


Fertilizer response RTB/SARD-SC

Nhamo Nhamo

Fertilizer response in factorial cassava intercropping trial • Main effect of fertilizer on

Cassava yield • Root yields increase with

fertilizer • Relatively more assimilates

distributed to aboveground biomass

Means and 95% C.I. of Rt_yld for fert

F1 F2 F30

10

20

30R

t_yld

fertMeans and 95% C.I. of R_Hav_ind for fert

F1 F2 F30

20

40

60

80

R_

Ha

v_in

d

fert

30

20

10

0

Fres

h r

oo

t yi

eld

[t

ha

-1]

HI

[%

] 60

40

0

20

0/0/0 40/40/40 120/80/80

Kg N/P/K ha-1


Fertilizer response/SSNM SARD-SC

0

700

1400

2100

2800

3500

Root AGB Root AGB Root AGB

Control

SSNM

0

700

1400

2100

2800

3500

Root AGB Root AGB Root AGB

2MAP

B-Nsansi (branching variety) A-Zizila (erect variety)

7.5MAP

Pro

du

ctio

n (

g p

lan

t-1

)

5MAP 7.5MAP

2MAP

5MAP

Kokou Kintche

Biomass accumulation and distribution over the cassava growth period

Control – no fertilizer NPK application


Agronomic efficiency and Leaf harvests

Stefan Hauser

Lessons learnt/research questions to ask

Cassava/legume intensification • A lot of scope for intervention in eastern DRC • Useful to reduce soil erosion • In Southwest Nigeria, we should target the late planting season => legume

matures during the DS • For a second legume cassava growth might be too vigorous Intercropping cassava/maize (legume) • Feasible at low cassava yield penalty • Strong interaction with season and intercrop intensity • => crucial to understand farmers’ preferences and importance of intercrop Fertilizer • Root yield increases at reduced HI • Look into nutrient composition (PK, other nutrients) • Look into timing of application Soil tillage • Ridging not very important for cassava yield • But can be a tool for e.g. weed management


• Combining component technologies => variety choices => intercropping options (sole/legume/maize) => fertilizer application => weed management => land preparation => planting density => ….

Way forward Taking cassava agronomy to scale

Way forward • Developing efficient approaches to

take cassava agronomy to scale => RTB => bilateral projects such as the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative starting in Jan 2016

increasing cassava productivity in the context of sustainable intensification

Science