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Husbandry of Selected Crops III: Cultivation of Roots & Tubers – SS1 Agricultural Science Lesson Note (Third Term)

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Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: SS1
Term: Third Term
Topic: Husbandry of Selected Crops III: Cultivation of Roots & Tubers
Order: Topic 7 of 9 this term
Reading time: 2 min

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) Advertisement 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

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

This term's Agricultural Science topics

SS1 Third Term · 9 topics

Maintenance Practices and Precautionary Measures
Problems of Agricultural Mechanization
Sources of Farm Power
Classification of Crops
Husbandry of Selected Crops I: Cereals Cultivation
Husbandry of Selected Crops II: Legumes Cultivation
Husbandry of Selected Crops III: Cultivation of Roots & Tubers
Pasture and Forage Crops I
Pasture and Forage Crops II

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