Soil erosion control in cassava cultivation using tillage and cropping techniques

S. K. Chan, S. L. Tan, H. Ghulam Mohammed and R. H. Howeler

Abstract

Cassava faces serious competition from other crops for land. It is increasingly being pushed into marginal areas, including sloping land where erosion is serious. To study this problem, an experiment was conducted to test various tillage practices and crop combinations on a uniform slope of 6–11% over 2 years of cropping. Soil erosion was estimated by weighing the soil washed into a plastic-lined trench at the lower end of each plot. Crop growth, yield and light interception were also recorded. The study showed that erosion in all the plots was most severe during the first 4 months when the canopy of cassava and interrow cover crops were not yet fully developed. During this early cropping stage, soil loss in the second year was significantly correlated with monthly rainfall. It was also found that the soil with a higher clay content was less vulnerable to erosion; however none of the treatments reduced erosion significantly. While some practices, such as the use of natural grass strips and zero tillage with and without subsoiling, seemed to reduce erosion, lack of tillage also reduced cassava yield.

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