Cassava (
Manihot esculenta
Crantz) is a major source of carbohydrate for more than 200 million people, mainly in Africa and to some extent in Asia and Latin America. In Africa, cassava is mainly grown in mixtures with other crops by subsistence farmers using unimproved methods of production. Root yields from farmers' fields are generally low, partly due to effects of weed competition. Hoe-weeding is the common practice among cassava farmers. The frequency and timing of weeding depend on such factors as climate, cultural practices, crop growth, soil fertility and weed species. Some common noxious weeds of cassava and their control by chemical, cultural and integrated means are discussed. Appropriate weed control methods for resource-limited cassava farmers, namely, cultural and biological, as well as an integrated system which combines two or more weed control methods at low input levels are suggested as ways of ensuring sustained production of cassava in developing countries.
