Husbandry Of Selected Crops III – Cultivation of Roots & Tubers SS1 Agricultural Science Lesson Note

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Topic: Husbandry Of Selected Crops III – Cultivation of Roots & Tubers

Cultivation Of Roots And Tubers

YAM (Dioscoreaspp) CASSAVA (Manihotspp)
Description  Yam belongs to the family Dioscoreacea.  It is a root and tuber crop grown in West Africa and it is rich in carbohydrates. Cassava is a root and tuber crop, rich in carbohydrate. It is easily cultivated and can grow in relatively poor soil.
Varieties  i. Water yam (Dioscoreaalata)

ii. Yellow yam (Dioscoreacayenesis)

iii. White yam (Dioscorearotundata)

iv. Bitter yam (Dioscoreadomentorum

v. Aerial yam (Dioscoreabulbifera)

i. Sweet cassava (Manihotutilissima)

ii. Bitter cassava (Manihotpalmata)

Land preparation  Clearing the land and making ridges either manually or mechanically. Clearing the land and making ridges either manually or mechanically.
Climatic requirements  Temperature of 25°– 30°C, Rainfall of 100cm – 180cm per annum. Temperature of 21° – 35°C, Rainfall of 150 – 200cm per annum.
Soil requirements  A well-drained sandy-loamy soil, rich in humus. Dried loamy soil. It can also tolerate poor soil.
Method of propagation  By yam seeds or yam sets. By stem cuttings (25 – 30cm long).
Planting date Early yam – November / December   Late yam – March / April March to September depending on ecological zone.
Planting Open a hole on the ridge using a hoe and place one yam sett inside with the cut surface turned upward and slantly placed at an angle of 45° 2/3 0f the stem cuttings are buried in slanting position or at an angle of 45°.
Seed rate 3 – 5 tonnes per hectare
Spacing 90cm x 100cm 100cm x 100cm.
Cultural practices  Mulching, weeding, application of fertilizers, staking, training of vine. Weeding and fertilizer application.
Maturity period  8 – 12 months depending on variety. 10 – 15 months depending on varieties.
Harvesting  This is done by digging the soil gently with a cutlass to remove the tuber from the soil. This is done by digging the soil gently around the tubers and pulling the stem gently so that the tubers are pulled along or use cassava puller.
Processing  It can be processed into yam flour. It can be processed into cassava flour, garri or foofoo.
Uses It is consumed by man and farm animals. It can be processed into yam flour.
Storage Yam tubers are store in barns. Cassava is stored in processed form in sacs.

ASSIGNMENT 

  1. Discuss the cultivation of yam under the following subheadings: 
  2. method of propagation B. planting date and planting  C. harvesting D. soil and climatic requirement
  3. Discuss the production of a named legume under:
  4. varieties  B. soil and climatic requirement  C. method of propagation  D. planting (e) harvesting
  5. State four uses of groundnut.
  6. Discuss the cultural practices in yam cultivation.

 

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