TY - JOUR
T1 - Sustainable Intensification of Cassava Production towards Food Security in the Lomami Province (DR Congo): Role of Planting Method and Landrace
AU - Tabaglio, Vincenzo
AU - Fiorini, Andrea
AU - Ndayisenga, Valence
AU - Ndereyimana, Andre'
AU - Minuti, Andrea
AU - Nyembo Nyembo, Roger
AU - Nyembo Ngoy, Dieudonnè
AU - Bertoni, Giuseppe
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Cassava is a mainstay crop for food security in Africa, its tubers being a large source of carbohydrates for the human diet. In some regions (e.g., the Democratic Republic of the Congo; DRC), leaves are also consumed as a source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Cassava adapts well to a range of soil-climate conditions and requires low inputs, yet yields are often unsatisfactory because of failures in disseminating improved genotypes and agricultural practices. The aim of this study was to test the effect of (i) seedbed preparation for planting cassava (i.e., flat, mounds, and ridges) and (ii) local landraces (i.e., Kakuanga, Kasongoy, Kasonie, Ndunda, and Ngoymuamba) on yield components and their nutritional quality in the Lomami province (DRC). In-depth measurements of yield components were performed, including the number of tubers and stems per plant, leaf biomass, stem biomass, root yield, and peeling yield. Tubers and leaves were also analyzed for chemical composition. Our results demonstrated that mound and ridge seedbed preparations may highly increase tuber yield (+32–68%) compared with flat. This is not the case for leaves and stems, which were not affected. The Ngoymuamba landrace showed a tuber yield about three times larger than Ndunda, which represented the common productivity values (5–8 Mg ha-1). No effect of seedbed preparation was observed and only minor differences between landraces were observed for the chemical composition of roots and leaves. We concluded that selecting the best-performing seedbed preparations landraces could have a significant potential for achieving in a relatively short time
the goal of “Zero Hunger” and improving the diet in the DRC.
AB - Cassava is a mainstay crop for food security in Africa, its tubers being a large source of carbohydrates for the human diet. In some regions (e.g., the Democratic Republic of the Congo; DRC), leaves are also consumed as a source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Cassava adapts well to a range of soil-climate conditions and requires low inputs, yet yields are often unsatisfactory because of failures in disseminating improved genotypes and agricultural practices. The aim of this study was to test the effect of (i) seedbed preparation for planting cassava (i.e., flat, mounds, and ridges) and (ii) local landraces (i.e., Kakuanga, Kasongoy, Kasonie, Ndunda, and Ngoymuamba) on yield components and their nutritional quality in the Lomami province (DRC). In-depth measurements of yield components were performed, including the number of tubers and stems per plant, leaf biomass, stem biomass, root yield, and peeling yield. Tubers and leaves were also analyzed for chemical composition. Our results demonstrated that mound and ridge seedbed preparations may highly increase tuber yield (+32–68%) compared with flat. This is not the case for leaves and stems, which were not affected. The Ngoymuamba landrace showed a tuber yield about three times larger than Ndunda, which represented the common productivity values (5–8 Mg ha-1). No effect of seedbed preparation was observed and only minor differences between landraces were observed for the chemical composition of roots and leaves. We concluded that selecting the best-performing seedbed preparations landraces could have a significant potential for achieving in a relatively short time
the goal of “Zero Hunger” and improving the diet in the DRC.
KW - Democratic Republic of the Congo
KW - cassava landraces
KW - planting method
KW - sustainable developing goals
KW - yield
KW - zero hunger
KW - Democratic Republic of the Congo
KW - cassava landraces
KW - planting method
KW - sustainable developing goals
KW - yield
KW - zero hunger
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/224814
U2 - 10.3390/agronomy13010228
DO - 10.3390/agronomy13010228
M3 - Article
SN - 2073-4395
VL - 13
SP - N/A-N/A
JO - Agronomy
JF - Agronomy
ER -