The Crop for the 21st century
What is the Cassava plant or the twenty-first-century crop?
Cassava plants, or what is called (cassava) or (the crop of the poor), its scientific name is "Manihot esculenta," and it belongs to the "Euphorbiaceous" family. It is one of the plants that many of us do not know about. tuber) large, swollen, and long, contains a very high content of "starch and flour," The crop represents the primary food for more than a billion people in 105 countries, as it provides a third of the calories required daily.
Southern Africa is the original home of these plants, but it grows in (the Americas, Asia, and Africa). With its various advantages and characteristics, the cassava plant is also cultivated by small farmers in more than 100 countries. "FAO" of the United Nations (Food and Agriculture Organization) expected that this would be the plant is the crop of the "twenty-first century" in light of the considerable rise in grain prices, especially wheat, and the possibility of converting it into high-quality flour.
the economic importance of cassava
- It is regarded as one of the most important crops in semi-arid and arid regions.
- Therefore, it can be successfully cultivated in desert lands, stressful lands, and poor lands.
- 65% of cassava is used for human consumption, 21% for animal feed, and 14% for the starch industry.
- The "cassava" crop can contribute to achieving food security and bridging the food gap in Egypt, similar to Ghana and Nigeria, as they are among the few countries that have succeeded in reducing the prevalence of undernourishment to more than 30%. In Ghana, the deficiency rate decreased from 62% to 10%, while in Nigeria, it decreased from 44% to 8%.
- The "cassava" crop is essential because it contains a large amount of starch that exceeds any other vegetable crop, as the roots contain about 25–30% starch (fresh weight), and its starch content reaches three times that of potatoes. The leaves contain a protein content of 18–25%. It is used as food for humans, as it is used in many industries and is considered a cheap and high source of calories, as "cassava" flour is used in the bread industry after being partially replaced and mixed with wheat flour.
- Cassava starch is used in making pies, biscuits, and sweets.
- It is possible to rely on "cassava" as an alternative to "yellow corn" to meet the needs of domestic consumption and industrial purposes, such as the starch industry.
- The use of leaves and juicy stems as green fodder for animals is due to the high percentage of protein in the leaves, which ranges from 18% to 25%.
- The crop residues are used as animal fodder after simple treatments, whereas the roots are used to make animal feed and are a great source of carbohydrates. Their use is either in the form of solid tablets, pellets, or dried chips. Experiments proved the success of partially substituting "cassava" in percentages of 25, 20, and 10% instead of yellow corn in animal diets. It was possible to use "cassava" roots in poultry diets.
- biofuel production from cassava tubers, where the starch is fermented with some bacteria and turns into ethanol.
- producing some cosmetics
Favorable climate
Cassava is one of the plants of the hot regions and can be cultivated between latitudes 30° north and south.
It grows in a warm, moist atmosphere, and if the temperature drops below 100 m, it hinders the growth of plants and does not tolerate frost.
Cassava plants can grow under an annual rainfall of 100–400 mm.
It tolerates periods of drought as the plant enters a dormant phase for up to 2–3 months.
Suitable land
Yellow sandy or light-yellow clay soils are the best choices.
The depth of the groundwater level must not be less than 60 cm, and the appropriate pH must be neutral or weakly acidic.
Agriculture
Cassava does not need much maintenance other than ploughing the ground once or twice to get rid of weeds and loosen the soil.
Cassava is grown as a single crop or loaded with other crops, especially young trees.
Cassava is grown by taking cuttings from mature, one-year-old stems, provided these stems are excellent and free from insects and pests.
Cuttings are cut to a length of 10–25 cm.
We are soaking the cuttings before planting in a fungal antiseptic.
Seed quantity
Plants are grown from cuttings, and an acre needs about 4,200 cuttings, according to the planting distance between plants or if it is a single planter or loaded with another crop.
Planting times of Cassava and distances:
The best time for planting is between the start of April and the end of May.
Cuttings are planted at intervals of 1 x 1 meter on flat ground, terraces, or lines.
Cassava can be planted alongside newly planted trees (mangoes and pears).
The cuttings begin to germinate 7–14 days after planting, and weed control begins about a month after planting.
Cultivation method of cassava plants:
vertical cultivation, where the cuttings are perpendicular to the soil so that 2/3 of the cuttings are buried in the soil, and the length of the cuttings suitable for cultivation is from 20 to 25 cm.
Fertilizing cassava plants
Adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a 2:1:1 (100:100:200 kg) ratio to ensure the most significant number of tubers with a high percentage of starch is recommended, and if the land is deficient in potassium, the ratio can be increased to 3.
Calcium superphosphate fertilizer (15.5% PO2A5) is added during the preparation of the land for cultivation. Nitrogen fertilizer is added as ammonium nitrate (33.5% N) in four batches every three days, while potassium fertilizer is added in the form of potassium sulfate (48% CO2A) divided into six batches. Every three days.
The fertilization program begins three weeks after planting.
irrigation of cassava
The cassava crop is irrigated every two days at the start of the plant's life until the completion of germination (about the first three months of the plant's life), then twice a week until the beginning of November, and then irrigation is prohibited until harvest.
Hoeing and weed control
The weeding begins during the early stages of growth and continues until the vegetative growth shades the soil surface and becomes competitive with the weeds. The field needs about 2-3 harrowing.
Harvest
Collect the leaves for use as a green fodder crop.
The first Friday begins after five months of planting, with the leaves of the lower plants being collected, leaving the developing top and the upper leaves at a height of about 25 cm from the developing top; the second Friday follows a month after the first, and the third after about 40 days from the second.
Tuber harvest:
The harvesting process takes place after 9 to 12 months of planting, and it is done manually, as the plants are pinched at a distance of not less than 20 cm from the soil surface.
The plants are loosened, then uprooted by pulling them, and then the tubers are separated from each plant.
