ACAI-BREEDED CASSAVA OUTSHINES ITS COUNTERPART CULTIVATED USING OLD FARM PRACTICE

As a part of efforts to promote agriculture and rural development in consonance with global best practices, African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) and its partner Justice Development & Peace Movement (JDPM) visited Soku a small settlement along Oyo-Iseyin road, Oyo West Local Government, to supervise the harvesting of cassava varieties on a demo plot.

After the harvesting procedure, it was discovered that sections of 10m × 10m measured from both plots within the same area, produced different yields.  The yield for the 10m × 10m section cultivated using old practice was 45kg, while the yield per 10m × 10m for the demo plot was 170kg. It is should be noted that manual weeding was done thrice on the “old practice” section while no weeding was done on the demo plot until the harvest took place.

This further affirms the viability of best agronomy practices – as designed by ACAI – against the primitive system which has been considered as ineffective for high yield and contributing to farmers’ shortages.

The farmers appreciated the Rural Development Program Department of JDPM of Oyo State and ACAI, stating that the demonstration is an eye-opener for them and that the results gotten will definitely enable them to abide by the best agronomy practices such that their standard of living will be improved.