|
Apart from the fertility of the soil, weeds represent another important factor which can substantially reduce the tapioca yield. Most of the expense paid for planting and crop care stems from weeding, especially for the first four months of planting. The farmers must inspect the field every 15 days. Preventive measures are more effective than letting the weeds grow and be destroyed later. If the weeds get taller and stronger, it will be difficult to destroy and the costs will be much higher. They can reduce the growth of tapioca and its yield. Soil improvements with applications of organic fertilizers such as compost or green manure, together with chemical fertilizers will stimulate rapid growth of tapioca which can prevent the spread of weeds. However, the spacings must be properly selected and the cuttings should be fresh so that the germination rate can be high.
|
Weeding can be done manually. This also helps improve the aeration of the soil. Some farmers use small tractors or even cattle to plough between the rows, thereby reducing the use of human labour. Weeding should be carried out 15-30 days after planting. At present, use of chemical herbicides is common, as it can save the cost of labour. For the second weeding, we can spray the Paraquat (Gramoxone) at the rate of 90 cc. per a bucket of water (17 litres). Care should be exercised in avoiding spraying directly on the tapioca plants. Spraying should be done when the tapioca is two months old. At the age of three months, we should spray with 48% Glyphosate at the rate of 70-80 cc. per a bucket of water. With Glyphostate, the weeds will slowly die within a month. Again, the farmers should avoid spraying on tapioca leaves. Weeding for three times should be sufficient for growing tapioca.
|
| |
| |
| |
Source : Faculty of Agriculture
Kasetsart University |
|
| |
|
Back to top |
| |
|
