Evaluation of improved varieties of cassava in the tribal belts of Attappadi in Kerala
Abstract
Cassava is an important source of energy in the diet of the people of tropical countries in the world.It has enormous potential in India for food security and industrial uses due to its ability to grow inmarginal and waste lands where other crops do not survive. Commercial planting of cassava is donefrom stem cuttings. Because of the low multiplication rate as compared to cereals and pulses, thehigh yielding varieties released in the research institute takes many years to reach the farmers. Overthe years, clonal multiplication degenerates the planting material, reduce tuber yield drastically, andrenders the cultivation of cassava uneconomical. An attempt was made to see the performance ofimproved varieties of cassava in Pudur gram Panchayat of Attappadi tribal region in Palakkad districtwhich falls under Attappadi Hills laterites Agro Ecological Unit 18 (AEU18) of Kerala. The programmewas implemented under the project on Development of Tuber Crops financed by Government ofKerala during 2014-15 and 2015-16 undertaken by ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute,Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Fifty farmers were selected and quality planting materialsof improved varieties of cassava from ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI),Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala were distributed for cultivation in an area of 25 cents of each, with a totalareaof 5 ha. The cultivation of cassava was carried out under rainfed conditions with the guidance andthe direct supervision of ICAR-CTCRI scientists. Farmers got an average tuber yield of 3.40 kg to 6.50kg per plant with an average number of tubers from 6 and 12 per plant in Pudur grama panchayat.Improved varieties of cassava produced significantly higher average tuber yield of 59.25t ha-1 at Pudurand the farmers also could produce 1.25 lakhs stems of cassava in one season sufficient for cultivationin an area of 80 ha. Adoption of improved varieties was economic with a B:C ratio of 2:1 which couldimprove their livelihood also, in addition to food security.
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