This document summarizes a meeting on cassava and sweet potato intercropping. It discusses the rationale for intercropping cassava and sweet potato to improve yields and incomes. Trials were conducted on farms in Tanzania with local partners to determine the best planting densities and times for intercropping. Data was collected on plant growth and yields. Analysis is ongoing and further trials will be established next year to continue optimizing cassava-sweet potato intercropping systems.

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CASSAVA AND SWEET POTATO
INTERCROPPING
Annual Review and Planning Meeting, December 5 to 7, 2016. IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria
Veronica NE Uzokwe

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Presentation Scope
• Rationale
• Objectives
• Why Cassava-Sweet Potato?
• Project Site and Partnership
• Methodology
• Progress
• Way forward

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• Low yield of cassava as a result of poor
planting and cropping pattern, poor soil
fertility management
• Low land use efficiency due to long
duration of cassava monoculture/sole
cropping
• Low income to farmers due to
unsustainable farming practices.
• Weed infestation in cassava monocrop
Rationale

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Overall: Increase productivity
Specific: Recommend-
• Appropriate planting densities and
time of introduction of sweet potato
to cassava intercropping systems
• Deduce the efficiency (LER) and
economic benefits of intercropping
cassava sweet potato intercropping
Objectives

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• It is one of the most important food and
cash crop in Zanzibar
• It is the most important intercrop
according to rapid characterization (47.2
%)
• It is the crop selected by our partner
(Farm Concern International)
• Planting time also deduce from rapid
characterization data (same time-66 %,
1-2 WAP-16 %; 1-2 earlier-14 %)
Why Sweet Potato?

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• In Tanzania, IC use case implemented in
Zanzibar by ARI and dev partner -FCI.
• The sites selected by FCI in
collaboration with government
extension agents (GEAs)
• A total of 60 IC trials were established in
Unguja and Pemba Islands.
• Commercial Village Trained Facilitators
(CVTF) trained earlier by FCI in the
selected sites were fully involved in the
running of the trials.
Project Site & Partnership

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FCI
Project Area

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Project Area

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• The experiments were conducted in 4
districts- Chake-chake and Wete for
Pemba; and North B and Central for
Unguja Island
• Two RMTs were established at
Matangatuani Research Station in
Pemba and Kizimbani-Unguja.
• 58 FMTs (19 Pemba and 41 Unguja)
Methodology

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• Design for RMTs Split plot
• FMTs are in simple single replicate trials
with four randomized treatments. as per
protocol
• The block has 30 treatments in 120
plots,
• Sweet potato introduced in main plots
at (0, 2, 5 and 8 weeks after planting)
Methodology

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• Both sweet potato and cassava
mono-crops as treatments are
integrated into the main plots
• SP mono - crop planted at the same
time with cassava mono-crop
treatment
• Plot size for FMT is 7m × 8m =
56m2 (56 plants)
Methodology

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• Both sweet potato and cassava
mono-crops as treatments are
integrated into the main plots
• SP mono - crop planted at the same
time with cassava mono-crop
treatment
• Plot size for FMT is 7m × 8m =
56m2 (56 plants)
Methodology

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• Cassava was planted in 1m x 1m
given plant population of 10,000 plants
per ha
• Sweet potato were planted at three
densities
• Low (10,000 plants/ha), medium
(20,000) and high density (30,000
plants/ha)
• Variety of cassava (Kizimbani) and for
sweet potato (Mayai) were used
Methodology

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Methodology

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Data collection (Agronomic)
• Sprouting %,
• Plant height and stem diameter (at
3,6,9 and 12 MAP)
• Plant stand at harvest
• Number of branches per plant
• Other agronomic data...

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Data collection (Agronomic)
• Observations of weeds dynamics
within different treatments
• Time required for weeding operations
(+frequency of weeding operations
needed)
• Major pests and disease (CBSD,
CMD, SPVD…)
• Yield and yield components for both
cassava and sweet potato

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Digitalized morph. data collection
Methodology cont’d

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MONTH (2005
TEMPERATURE O
C
EVAPORATIO
N (mm)
RAIN FALL
(mm)
SOLAR RADIATION
(MJ/m2
)
MAXIMUM MINIMUM
JAN 33.4 25.9 172.4 110.9 17.32
FEB 34.2 25.3 172 0.5 17.73
Mar 34.6 25.7 164.7 218.1 18.43
APRIL 31.2 25 104.6 630.9 13.86
MAY 31 24.6 118.4 178.4 14.84
JUNE 31 24 NIL 8 NIL
JULY 30 23 NIL 1 NIL
AUG 30 22 NIL 35 NIL
SEPT 30 21 NIL 59 NIL
OCT 30 23 NIL 20 NIL
Weather information

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• Timely establishment of all trials
according to protocol
• Timely completion of - farmer
characterization involved 250
questionnaires
• Timely collection of soil samples
from all sites (Unguja and Pemba
Progress…

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• Timely application of fertilizer (TSP) to
all sites; RMT and FMT as per trial
protocol
• Digitalized data collection- timely
collected and uploaded
• Trial facilities including thermometers,
rain gauges, soil grinders, oven etc.
timely procured
Progress…

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• Site selection and characterization for new
set of trials are in progress
• Data analysis for the morphological and
agronomic data are in progress
• Yield assessment work is in progress,
already done 30 farmers-additional activity
• V0 development activities completed-
additional activity
• Harvesting work for sweet potato is in
progress
Progress…

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• Trial harvesting (cassava) will
be done in May 2017
• Thereafter, holistic data
analysis will follow
Progress…

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• Site selection for second batch of 100
sites (70 in Unguja and 30 in Pemba)
is in progress
• Soil sampling will be done from mid-
December
• Site preparation (bush clearing and
land preparation) to be done in
January-February for both on-farm
and on-station trials
Way forward…

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• Planting will be done from March to
April for both RMTs and FMTs
depending on the rains
• Data collection on morphological
features and disease will be done as
per protocol
• Harvest season one trials (cassava) in
May 2017
• Continue with close monitoring of the
trials and other project activities
Way forward…

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• Prolonged dry spells
• The use of tablets has caused some of
the delays especially during rainy or
too sunny periods
Challenges…

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OYSCGA

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Thank you!
The Model:
Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember.
But involve me, and I'll understand……”Chinese proverb”
Veronica Uzokwe, October 24, 2016