Tracking storage root bulking of cassava under NPK application

Until now, the root architecture of cassava has been less studied, yet cassava is the sixth most important crop in the world and the third largest carbohydrate source, feeding more than 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, it is resilient to climate change and is a major source of food and raw material especially for many countries in Africa. In the previous studies, we established fertigation concentrations at which maximum storage root yields were achieved in the field for three cassava varieties: Mweru, Nalumino, and Kampolombo (Omondi et al., 2018). This work laid the basis of fertigation in cassava and showed increase in root yield using that method of fertilizer application. Additionally, other studies have observed increase in cassava root yield by the application of fertilizers through banding. Therefore, it is necessary to provide accurate recommendations for banding of fertilizer – the most popular method of fertilizer application – and test the efficacy of controlled-release fertilizers in the field. Consequently, tracking the bulking process at Murriaze and Namialo in Mozambique enabled staggering of fertilizer application in split doses, synchronizing nutrients uptake and cassava growth.