Tackling weeds on cassava farms

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The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has invented a method of tackling weeds on cassava farms and contamination in grains, writes CHIDINMA EWUNONU-ALUKO

n its research activities to provide nourishment for Africans and improve food production on the continent, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan and its partners have lifted millions of people out of poverty and malnutrition.

Among numerous achievements in 2020, IITA in collaboration with the partners, identified and provided post-emergence herbicides used for cassava weed control of which farmers found very useful.

The scientists working with the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) of the IITA are of the belief that the post-emergence herbicides will be a revolutionary tool in tackling such weeds that have long been impediments to bumper harvest.

The Principal Investigator on Weed Control Measures at IITA, Prof. Friday Ekeleme says the herbicides have been adapted under the framework of the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and Best Planting Practices toolkit.

However, Ekeleme states that usage of the herbicides are not limited to cassava weed control.

He notes that the weeding process in cassava is a tortuous and back-breaking exercise that limits the ability of farmers to expand their cropped area.

Ekeleme says that post-emergence herbicides available in Nigeria include glufosinate ammonium, which is currently branded as Lifeline; Slasha Gold, and Basta.

“The application of post-emergence herbicides requires care and skill to avoid damage to the cassava, this is because the post-emergence herbicides used in cassava are not selective.

“This means that they will harm cassava if they come in contact with the green parts of the cassava crop, including the green stems and the leaves.

“To avoid the post-emergence herbicides touching the green parts of cassava, farmers are encouraged to use spraying shields that are usually attached to the nozzle of the sprayer,” he advises.

“There is however, an exception, and that is, Fusilade Forte can be applied directly to the cassava crop to kill grasses (narrow leaf weeds only).

“If the field has a combination of both narrow and broad-leaf weeds, apply glufosinate ammonium,” Ekeleme added.

Researchers at IITA have packaged the knowledge on the use of post-emergence and pre-emergence herbicides in cassava farming systems into an extension toolkit known as the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and Best Planting Practices (simply called ‘Six Steps’), for dissemination to farmers.

The ‘Six Steps’ is a set of agronomic recommendations including tillage and plant nutrition that enables farmers to grow cassava (or cassava intercropped with maize) with minimal interference of weeds, thereby pushing up the yield threshold of cassava.

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ACAI has further bundled the toolkit into AKILIMO—a one-stop-shop advisory tool for farmers.

According to IITA’s Digital Extension and Advisory Services Specialist, Mr Godwin Atser, who is leading the dissemination of the ‘Six Steps’ toolkit, farmers are advised to apply post-emergence herbicides from when the cassava crop is eight weeks old.

Atser said post-emergence herbicides should be applied when weeds cover 30 per cent of the field, and are at 4 to 6 leaf stage.

Also, the IITA Director for Development & Delivery, Dr Alfred Dixon, called on farmers to follow the ‘Six Steps’ for optimum control of weeds, stressing that the toolkit comprises all the recommendations necessary for weed control.

Dixon emphasises that the effective control of weeds is crucial for higher cassava productivity while urging farmers to contact IITA for the toolkit.

Also, IITA and the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) have signed an agreement to work together to tackle aflatoxin contamination of grains in the region to help ensure that they are safe for human and livestock consumption and meet export standards.

Aflatoxin is a highly poisonous chemical produced by a naturally occurring fungus known as Aspergillus flavus.

The fungus is found in soils and attacks important crops such as maize and groundnut while in the field and in storage, especially when they are not dried and stored properly.

Aflatoxin poses a serious health threat to both human beings and animals.

Dr Kenton Dashiell, IITA’s Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, asserts that acute poisoning as a result of consuming foods with extremely high levels of aflatoxin can lead to instant death.

Dashiell says that chronic exposure, on the other hand, as a result of consuming foods with above-the-allowable safe levels, for many years, can result in lowered immunity, low birth weight, and irreversible stunting in children and liver cancer.

According to him, Aflatoxin also causes loss in trade revenue due to contamination of products that do not meet the required standards.

“According to Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), Africa loses an estimated US$670 million in rejected export trade annually due to contamination by aflatoxin.

“In the partnership agreement, IITA and EAGC will, among others, promote best practices and proven technologies to manage aflatoxin. This will include promoting the use of Aflasafe™.

“This is an innovative, safe, and natural product that drastically reduces aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnuts as part of an integrated aflatoxin management strategy.

“The technology was originally developed by the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and is widely used in the US.

“IITA, in partnership with the USDA, has successfully adapted this technology for use in many countries in Africa.

“Aflatoxin contamination is a serious food safety issue in sub-Saharan Africa and also a major impediment to trade.

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“We are therefore excited about this partnership with EACG that will, among others, support efforts to create awareness on aflatoxin and mitigation strategies.

“This includes the use of the very effective, safe, affordable and easy-to-use aflasafe technology.

“This will help towards the realization of our vision for an aflatoxin-free, food-secure Africa,” Dashiell explained.

Also, the EAGC Executive Director, Mr Gerald Masila, says it seeks to identify best practices in food safety and quality control among grain value chain actors to increase their potential in intra- and inter-African grain trade.

Masila says by reducing aflatoxin contamination in grains to safe levels, Africa can meet international food safety standards, thereby creating a huge opportunity for increase in grain export potential.

He added that the agreement would leverage each organization’s comparative advantage to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in the areas of advocacy, research, capacity development, and awareness creation.

According to Masila, EAGC and IITA will work together to shape quality grain production, support market linkages for increased regional grain trade, promote the implementation of EAC staple foods standards and aflatoxin control, thereby mobilizing resources to attain and manage aflatoxin standards.

He added that the MoU intended to increase cooperation through knowledge and experience sharing as well as mobilization of resources to maximize desired outcomes.

The Aflasafe technology has been registered for commercial use and transferred to the private sector for scale-up.

To date, 14 products have been registered in 10 countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique) with more being developed in 12 countries.

IITA, through its Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava System, Phase 2 (BASIC-11) project has trained seeds agents and many farmers on various good agronomic practices to help farmers obtain maximum yield.

The training also gives farmers access to improved and disease-free cassava varieties.

The institute through its agriprenuer programmes also engaged and empowered thousands of youths in various agricultural value chains and agribusiness.

https://thenationonlineng.net/tackling- ... ava-farms/