Pruning of Cassava plants

cassava pruning
Cassava

Okeoghene Sike-Ezo

Industrial Cassava Specialist

Share it:

Pruning is a practice in horticulture that involves selecting and removing certain parts of a plant. These parts may include branches, buds, leaves or roots. The main goal of pruning is to enhance the healthy growth and development of cassava plants [1,2,3]. This can be achieved by improving the plant’s structure which may result in the formation of new stems. The timing for cassava pruning depends on the farmers’ objective regarding the desired outcome of the cassava crop. Pruning cassava 12 months after planting is an essential strategy that can improve the root quality of cassava at harvest. Also, pruning can create entries for pests and diseases to fester. The yield of cassava can be reduced when pruned.  As such, the pruning of cassava can be significantly affected by weather conditions.  This means pruning cassava leaves in the rainy season may result in the health and stability of cassava plants compared to the dry season where there is limited rainfall. It is advisable that the pruning of cassava should be done 4 weeks before harvesting.

Because dying cassava plants can affect the growth of others, which, in turn, affect the overall yield of cassava, the following are the reasons why cassava plants are pruned:

  • Pruning ensures that weak parts of plants are removed to minimise the chances for pests to thrive on plants. It can aid farmers in controlling the growth of cassava plants.
  • It can be used as a strategy to improve the nutritional value of the leaves and cassava shoots.
  • It stimulates the rejuvenation and the creation of new cassava branches and leaves.

Benefits of pruning cassava

  • New planting materials (stems) are easily available before the harvest season.
  • Pruning cassava can make intercropping of cassava with other crops.
  • The pruning of cassava leaves is used to feed ruminant animals in Nigeria.
  • Pruning of cassava can create an avenue where light intercepting cultivars are reduced, and this benefits plants in the late season [1,2,3].
  • The pruning of cassava greatly favours the mechanical harvesting of cassava roots.
  • Cassava plants that are pruned before harvesting takes place can serve as a strategy to extend cassava shelf-life. That is to say that susceptibility to postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) is reduced and limited [4].

Drawbacks of pruning of cassava

  • The starch components in pruned cassava are low and may not be used for commercial purposes where starch is required as a raw material. This is because pruning interrupts the physiological processes in root development in plants. This may lead to a delay in attaining the maturity of cassava crops.
  • Pruning reduces the original value of cultivars.
  • Pruning results in low productivity of tuberous roots, low aerial parts weight of plants and reduction of dry matter.
  • Regular pruning of cassava leaves may hinder the growth of the cassava plant; it may not grow beyond 4 feet tall (1.20 m) [1,2,3].
  • Pruning cassava also increases the cooking time of tubers when compared to non-pruned plants [1,2,3].

Pruning methods of cassava

Cutback is the process whereby all shoots and branches of cassava are pruned.

This pruning method serves as means to generate seedlings for early planting before harvesting is done. This pruning technique usually makes planting materials easily available. Cuttings with 6 to 8 visible leaves are usually collected for planting at the end of September.

Debranching: is the process of pruning all the branches of cassava plants except the stem is pruned. Debranching as a technique may affect the canopy structure because stem and leaf growths decrease.  Farmers applied this method of pruning when they want to create an easy pathway for a smooth grazing experience for ruminant aminals. Debranching shortens cassava plants. Cassava leaves are a good source of food for goats. Since ruminant animals may damage tall cassava plants as they struggle for the leaves for food. Farmers apply this method of pruning when they still needed their  plants to continue growing.

References

  1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1097-0010(200010)80:13%3C1866::AID-JSFA718%3E3.0.CO;2-H
  2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1993.tb04039.x
  3. https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20103104669
  4. https://www.thespruce.com/growing-cassava-plants-5087849

OUR PARTNERS

We join forces with N.G.O.s, Universities, and other organizations globally to fulfill our common mission on sustainability and human welfare.