Embrapa offers farmers in the Brazilian Semiarid region the second version of the Production System for Cassava in the Semiarid Region. The objective is to boost the cultivation of this root in the region, improving the income and quality of life of local populations. Cassava is one of the most relevant crops in the Semiarid region, representing 12,3% of the 18,2 million tons produced by Brazil in 2020, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). These numbers remain despite the conditions of extreme water scarcity in this climate zone located in the Caatinga biome and which occupies 12% of the country's area.
The production system provides the technical information necessary for cassava cultivation, highlighting the phases of crop establishment, soil management and conservation, fertilization and nutrition of plants, cultivars, production and obtaining of seedlings or seed plants, cultural treatments, management irrigation, diseases and pests and their control methods, use of pesticides, harvesting, post-harvest and processing, market and commercialization, in addition to technical coefficients, costs, yields and profitability.
Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura (BA) researcher Laércio Duarte Souza says that cassava is known as the “root of Brazil”, as it is capable of being cultivated from the North to the South of the country, in cold or hot climates. “These characteristics also make her worthy of being a heroine,” says Souza.
“The production system is our contribution to helping rural farmers produce in such an adverse scenario. Now, the big challenge is getting the system information to reach this farmer. The vast majority do not have access to the internet. Therefore, our audience, in this case, are technicians, rural extensionists, true priests, who have the mission of bringing information to farmers in the Semiarid region”, says Souza, technical editor of the publication, with researcher Alineaurea Florentino Silva , from Embrapa Semiárido (PE) – 24 authors signed the document, available in online format.
Alineaurea Silva states that the lack of water prevents many processes from taking place, which is why she considers the association of two aspects, constant in the production system, to be essential in terms of bringing results to the farmer: adequate fertilization for the Semiarid region and the quality of the seed handle used. “There is no point in choosing a good variety if the stalk is weak. And there is no point in choosing a good manioc, from a good variety, if the soil is poorly fertilized. So, these two aspects, quality of the manure and soil correction, make a lot of difference in a production system that has a lack of water like ours.”
She explains that farmers in the Semiarid region normally choose sandier soils to facilitate harvesting. It turns out that these soils are easier to harvest, however, they are generally weak in terms of fertility. “Over the years, we have observed several farmers reporting that cassava no longer produces as it used to because the area is tired. Of course, because, generally, they plant in areas of latosol or neosol, which are a little older, with less nutrients, and which are not corrected, because cassava is very tolerant and produces something like that, but over time it ends deteriorating”, he adds.
The production system indicates the application of lime to correct the soil. According to Silva, it is the cheapest input and allows the plant to respond well. “There is no point recommending an expensive input because cassava will not pay that price initially, so we have to start with a more suitable option.” According to the document, if liming and fertilization are carried out at the recommended doses, times and application methods, an average root yield of 20 tons per hectare (t/ha) is estimated – the national average of root productivity is around 13 t/ha.
Souza adds that most soils in the Semiarid region are shallow. He makes a comparison with the soil of Cruz das Almas, for example, where the headquarters of Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura is located, in which in any area you can reach 10 to 30 meters (m) deep until you hit the stone. “In the semi-arid region, when we find soil 1 meter, 1,5 m deep, we are very satisfied, we can now plant a series of things. The cassava has to be at least 1 meter, 1,5 m, because, if it is not that deep, when the rains fall, the soil is shallow, it becomes waterlogged and the roots rot.”
One of the farmer's procedures in relation to very shallow soil, as the researcher informs, is what is called ridge (continuous piles of soil) or matumbos (isolated piles of soil). He gathers the earth, makes a mound and plants the maniva on top of that mound. “As if it created a soil above the surface for the roots to have an isolated area from waterlogging, although it will go deeper into the soil after the rainy season. This is one of the most used alternatives in the Semiarid region.” The recommendation, as Souza points out, is that planting should be done, as a priority, in an area above 1 m, 1,5 m, with the ridge only indicated as a last alternative, because it “disrupts” the soil. “The soil is scraped to make this mound, which makes it clean and without vegetation cover, causing it to lose a lot of water. It’s a solution that can be harmful, but if the producer can’t plant any other way, he gives up on the ideal technique and plants however he can.”
Several terms define this root, which is on the Brazilian table, from North to South of the country, and can be consumed in different ways. Cassava, also called cassava or cassava, depending on the region, is sold as a fresh vegetable or in the form of puree, chips and dumplings, for example. The so-called wild cassava, which gets its name due to its high content of cyanogenic compounds and cannot be consumed without being processed, is used, for example, in the production of flour, tapioca and beijus.
“It is important that family farmers are aware of these multiple possibilities of use and are trained in production. He does not need to sell cassava in its fresh state, as there are several products that can be produced with table cassava. This update of the production system is essential for the producer. Even in relation to cassava for industry, it is important to know the requirements of the legislation for flour and starch, in addition to the stages of the process”, informs Luciana Oliveira, also a researcher at Embrapa Cassava and Fruticulture.
The part of the production system that was most improved in this new edition is that which deals with processing, which even generated a primer specific, launched even before the production system. The publication presents, in detail, the stages of preparation of various products. It covers aspects related to harvest and post-harvest, good manufacturing practices, cassava or cassava processing (frozen cassava, pre-cooked and frozen cassava, cassava chips and dough for savory snacks), flour processing, starch processing or starch on a small scale and finally packaging and labeling.
The document describes the main phytosanitary problems that occur in the Semiarid region. In the Northeast region, root rot is the most limiting disease for cassava production. Productivity losses in the areas of greatest occurrence are around 30%. As Embrapa Mandioca and Fruticulture researcher Saulo Oliveira explains, rot is divided into dry, black and soft. In the Semi-arid region, the most common are drought and blackout, caused by several different pathogens.
Root rot control measures involve the integration of the use of resistant varieties (indicated in the document) associated with cultural practices, such as crop rotation, physical and chemical soil management, cultivation systems, among others. According to Oliveira, in poorly drained areas and subject to waterlogging, cultivation in ridges or matumbos is recommended, mainly, to control soft rot.
“In the system, emphasis was placed, of course, on root rot. The other diseases were included so that the producer knows what could happen to his plantation. This is the case of leaf spots, which occur throughout Brazil. Anthracnose, brown spot, white spot and leaf blight occur everywhere, normally during the rainy season. Even in the semi-arid region, there are periods of rain, when these diseases can occur, causing considerable damage to the crop”, informs the researcher.
As for pests, the main problem observed in the region is mites. Cultural control of mites consists of carrying out practices that hinder the population development of the pest and delay its spread. According to Silva, irrigation, for example, can be used as an ally in this control. “Sprinkler irrigation wets the leaf and thus creates a suitable environment for the development of a fungus that consumes this mite. It works like a biological control.”
Other pests described in the production system are the mandarová – a nocturnal moth, one of the most important pests for cassava, as the caterpillar can cause severe defoliation –, the lace bug and the whitefly. There are also secondary pests, which, sporadically, can cause damage of economic importance, such as stem borers, aerial mealybugs, termites and ants.
This production system is aligned with Embrapa's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), a global agenda adopted during the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development in 2015, with the mission of building and implementing public policies that aim to guide the humanity by 2030 (Agenda 2030). It initially meets Goal number 2 “Zero hunger and sustainable agriculture”, which consists of eradicating hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture. In 2017, the ODS Embrapa Network was created, which aims to manage the intelligence distributed in Research Units and respond to demands regarding the 2030 Agenda.
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