Bayer Launches Cassava Herbicide For Africa

   

The herbicide developed by Bayer is expected to tackle weeds as well raise yields in most cassava growing parts in Africa. It is backed by the International Institute For Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Cassava farmers in Uganda and the rest of Africa could soon protect their crop from weeds using a herbicide instead of a hand hoe.

Bayer, German chemical and pharmaceutical company and International Institute For Tropical Agriculture on Tuesday launched a new cassava weed protection product known as Lagon.

A statement by International Institute For Tropical Agriculture said Lagon will help farmers tackle the problem of weeds in cassava and raise yield.

The product was reportedly tested on more than 200 trials and demos across Nigeria and Tanzania. It is being rated among the top best preemergence herbicides for control of both grasses and broad-leaf weeds in cassava.

“The launch of Lagon today aims to provide a big relief to farmers,” says Temitope Banjo, the Country Sales Manager of Bayer in Nigeria.

“These are exciting times for cassava farmers… Farmers need not to worry about weeds anymore,” he added.

Weeds have remained a major challenger to increased cassava productivity in Nigeria and Africa in general, with women spending about 500 hours annually to keep a hectare of cassava weed-free using hoes.  When left uncontrolled, weeds compete for water, nutrients and space with cassava and depress yield by 40-90%.

To tackle the menace of weeds, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) managed the Cassava Weed Management Project, and in the last eight years, screened more than 40 preemergence herbicides both on-station and on-farm. The trials and subsequently demonstrations were conducted in Abia, Benue, Ogun and Oyo states in Nigeria, and in Tanzania.

Across the four states, which represent the key agroecological zones that predominantly grow cassava in Nigeria, yield of cassava from Lagon treated fields were more than double the national average and were above 20 tons per hectare.  

Cassava plants treated with Lagon were more vigorous compared to those on fields where the product was not used.   

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Director for Development & Delivery, Dr Alfred Dixon said that the Cassava Weed Management Project team also conducted residue analysis on the leaves, stems and roots of cassava.

“The residue analysis provided negative results, meaning that Lagon is safe to be applied on field crops, particularly cassava,” Dr Dixon added.

A study by Croplife International in 2013 found that weed infestation is a major constraint in cassava production in Africa. It said cassava is susceptible to weed interference during the first 10 to 16 weeks after planting because of slow canopy development for ground cover and weed suppression.

The recommended weeding schedule for cassava is at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after planting in the first growth phase. However, most farmers do not weed their fields on time, given the costly and backbreaking nature of hand-hoe weeding, on which the majority of African farmers depend. Delayed weeding leads to reduced yields since weeds compete with cassava for nutrients.

Croplife International observed that storage root yield reductions caused by uncontrolled weed interference in cassava ranged between 40% and total loss. Meanwhile IITA said weeding in cassava is a tortuous and a back-breaking exercise that limits the ability of farmers to expand their cropped area.

“Most African farmers still use manual labor such as hoe weeding. This method of weed control is expensive and requires proper timing which farmers often do not fulfill due to competing household labor demands. This is in addition to the drudgery associated with hoe weeding” said IITA in an earlier statement.

Research has shown that adoption of chemical weed control is the most effective method of controlling weeds in cassava producing higher yields and income and saving labor. Hoe weeding has been found four times more expensive than using herbicides.

“Labor use for weed control decreased by 54% to 96% when farmers switched from hoe weeding to chemical control However, less than 3% of the farmers in West Africa use herbicides” said IITA

Cassava originated from tropical America and was first introduced into Africa around 1558. It then spread rapidly and became a dietary staple in Africa. Cassava is rich in carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins B and C and essential minerals. Cassava serves as a major staple food for more than 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa; average consumption is around 80 kilograms of cassava per year. It is estimated that 37% of dietary energy comes from cassava.