By Samuel
The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) has stepped up efforts toward improving cassava weed management with its latest ‘post-emergence herbicides’ discovery.
The Initiative under the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) had introduced the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and Best Planting Practices, galvanising research on weed management.
IITA on Thursday revealed that it identified some post-emergence herbicides in Nigeria, and have been adapted in its framework to control weeds in cassava farms.
The discovery, AgroNigeria understands, has been entrenched in the ‘Six Steps’ extension tool kit for farmers to access.
Principal Investigator on Weed Control Measures, IITA, Prof. Friday Ekeleme disclosed this in a statement in Ibadan.
According to him, Scientists under ACAI identified glufosinate-ammonium, which is currently branded as Lifeline, Slasha Gold, Basta, among others, as post-emergence herbicides.
He also added that ‘fluazifop-p-butyl’ also known as Fusilade forte, can be applied if the weeds in the cassava field are grasses.
Ekeleme further said that the discovery would enhance the capacity of cassava farmers and engender quality yields of the crop.
He added that herbicides would improve the system, as weed control in cassava farms was a torturous exercise that limited the ability of farmers to expand their cropped area.
“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.
“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,” he said.
Farmers have, however, been advised to apply the post-emergence herbicides only “when the cassava crop is eight weeks old and above’’.
IITA Digital Extension and Advisory Services Specialist, Mr. Godwin Atser, who stated this, added that the herbicides should be applied when weeds cover 30 percent of the field and “are at four to six-leaf stage”.