Successful harvesting

Optimal root quality and high yields result from good cultural practices carried out when establishing and maintaining the crop. Practices include determining the quantity of nutrients needed for plant development, controlling weeds, roguing undesirable cassava plants, and maintaining an adequate biological equilibrium.

Land preparation

Selecting the land where the cassava crop will be established is important. A soil analysis should be carried out to determine texture and chemical composition. The crop tolerates certain adverse conditions such as drought, but is highly susceptible to waterlogging. Ideally, cassava should be planted on sandy loams.

Selecting planting materials

When establishing the crop, the variety to plant must be determined, taking into account the following characteristics:

• Physiology and adaptability to soil and climatic conditions
• Physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics
• Use of roots after harvest
• Marketing objective

Integrated pest and disease management

Pests and diseases in a crop bring economic loss, reduced root quality, and lamentable environmental consequences. Preventive management helps ensure crop quality.

Timing of harvest

Harvest is carried out when the plant is between 7 and 18 months old. Timing is important because if a variety is harvested before its optimal period then its yields will be low; if harvested is later, then dry matter and starch contents may be low.

Manual and mechanical harvesting

Roots can be harvested either manually or mechanically. With either method, to prevent postharvest deterioration, care must be taken not to break or cause appreciable damage to the roots.

Manual harvesting is more usual, even though it demands considerable physical effort and is labor-intensive at 18 to 20 full-time workers by hectare. In Colombia, labor represents more than 30% of production costs.

Mechanical harvesting involves using several animal-drawn or mechanical diggers to pull out roots, or at least loosen them so that manual digging is less arduous.