The yield potential of tapioca depends largely on the germination of the cuttings planted and also the survival rate of the stands at the time of harvest.  At present, planting is done by placing the tapioca cuttings vertically into the ground.  The germination of the cuttings is high and crop care is rather easy.  The length of the cuttings should be about 20 cms, and they should be placed beneath the ground for about 10 cms.  If  they are not deep enough, they may not be able to withstand heavy rain or strong wind.  If they are too deep, the proliferation of the roots may be hindered, resulting in low yield.  We should use the cuttings from plants at the age of 11-12 months.  They should be not too young or too old.  The colour  of the trunk should be dark green and silvery on the surface.  Older plants (18-24 months) should not be used.  If we use the trunk which is dark brown and large, the germination rate is likely to be low.

           The land should be well-prepared in advance. The cuttings should be fresh or kept for not more than 15 days.  For tapioca farmers, it is recommended that at the time of harvesting, a part of tapioca plants should be left unharvested for the purpose of re-planting.  After the trunks are cut, the remainder of the stands will grow again.  About two branches should be kept for future uses.  If  there are too many branches, then the new trunks will be smaller and the quality will deteriorate.  In practice, most farmers completely harvest their tapioca and use the trunks harvested for re-planting .  Efforts should be made to immediately store the cuttings, by keeping them in bunches of  400-500.  They should be left standing up with the bottom part touching the ground in the open.  In so doing, the cuttings will be fresh and can be stored for some two months before planting.

             Cuttings should derive from the trunks, not from branches.  They should be 20 cms in length and taken from the middle part of the trunks.  The top and the bottom parts should be discarded.  Care must be taken in cutting the trunks.  They should be cut directly or diagonally, avoiding having sharp end for the cuttings.  If the trunks are 1.20-1.50 metres in length, we may need about 2,000 trunks per hectare.