ABSTRACT

A survey was carried out on cassava (Manihot esculenta crantz) cropping systems among rural farmers in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State in the southwestern rainforest agro-ecological zone of Nigeria. The study aimed at providing the baseline data for evaluating the cropping systems of the crop as basis for formulating research interventions for improving farm productivity and household income of resource poor farmers. Farmers utilized fragmented aggregate farm sizes of> 1 to < 3 ha for the cultivation of cassava both in sole and in mixture with yam, maize, cocoyam and okra. With maize as the most preferred companion crop and grown mostly on flat in preference to mound and planting on ridges. Cassava tuber yield was in the range of 6800 to 14000kg/ha for the systems. The yield pattern was affected by the systems component, notably, cropping systems, seedbed types. The mound system was superior to other systems in yield, and economic returns as determined by gross margin/ha and return per naira invested. There were no negative return, which indicated a generally good performance of the crop under the various intercropping systems. Potentials exist for improving the over all farmers' productivity through more articulated research experimentation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Table of Contents vii

Abstract ix

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Origin and Distribution of Cassava --- 1

1.2 Ecology of Cassava --- 1

1.3 Importance of Cassava 2

1.4 OBJECTIVE 4

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW --- 5

2.1 Cassava Production -- 5

2.2 Cropping System --- 6

2.3 Survey 9

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS --- 11

3.1 Study Area 11

3.2 Methodology 11

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 RESULT 13

4.1 Percentageof farmers involved in aggregate farm size (Ha)--- 14

4.2 Percentage of farmers involved in cropping system --- 15

4.3 Preferred Companion Crop(s) with Cassava 16

4.4 Land preparation methods 17

4.5 Fertilizer use 18

4.6 Crop Protection (weed control) 19

4.7 Tuber Yield (kg/ha) of cassava in traditional cropping system 20

4.7.1 Tuber yield under sole cropping situation 20

4.7.2 Tuber yield under intercropping situation --- 21

4.7.3 Tuber yield under mixed cropping situation --- 22

4.8 Return per hectare (Naira) of cassava under ridge system 23

4.9 Return per hectare (Naira) of cassava under mound system 25

4.10 Return per hectare (Naira) of cassava under flat system --- 27

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Discussion 29

CHAPTER SIX

Conclusion and Recommendation 32

References 34

Questionnaire 38