Addressing nutritional disorders in cassava cultivation

Cassava is drought-tolerant and grows reasonably well in relatively infertile soils where other crops would fail. However, production could be further increased if important soil-related constraints are addressed. In order to supply cassava plants with the nutrients required for optimal production, it is important to know about their nutritional requirements, diagnose correctly any deficiency or toxicity, and use adequate measures to correct these problems. This chapter describes these points for each nutrient. It also provides detailed discussion of the soil and nutrient management strategies most suitable for the three main cassava-growing regions: Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.