The food-security backbone of West and Central Africa. Cassava's biggest threat is viral — cassava mosaic disease spreads through cuttings, so the single highest-value intervention is clean planting material.
- Grown in
- Nigeria, Ghana, DR Congo, Tanzania, Indonesia, Brazil
- Season
- 8–18 months, drought tolerant
- Soil & pH
- Light sandy loam, pH 5.5–6.5, tolerates low fertility
What to scout for on Cassava
- Yellow-green mottling and distorted leaflets — cassava mosaic disease
- Brown streaking inside the root — cassava brown streak
- White fluffy insects on leaf undersides — whitefly, the virus vector
- Stunting inherited from infected stem cuttings
Diseases that attack Cassava
Bacterial Wilt
Ralstonia solanacearum / Erwinia tracheiphila
Mosaic Virus
TMV, CMV, ZYMV
Aphid Infestation
Aphidoidea
Products you can buy for Cassava
Typical registered products for the diseases above, with active ingredient, mixing rate, spray interval and pre-harvest interval. Rotate FRAC/IRAC groups to avoid resistance.
Imidacloprid 17.8% SL (vector control)
Active ingredient: Imidacloprid
- Dose:
- 0.3 ml per litre foliar, or 1 ml/L as a nursery drench
- Interval:
- Every 14–21 days, maximum 2 per season
- PHI:
- 21 days
Targets the aphid and whitefly vectors, not the virus. Avoid during flowering to protect pollinators.
Mineral / horticultural oil
Active ingredient: Paraffinic oil 80%
- Dose:
- 10 ml per litre (1% v/v)
- Interval:
- Every 7 days during vector flights
- PHI:
- 0 days
Oil films block non-persistent virus transmission on the aphid stylet — one of the few tools that reduce spread.
Skimmed milk protein spray
Active ingredient: Milk protein 10% solution
- Dose:
- 100 ml skimmed milk per litre of water
- Interval:
- Before handling plants and weekly during transplanting
- PHI:
- 0 days
A proven low-cost barrier against mechanical transmission of tobamoviruses on hands and tools.
Certified virus-free planting material
Active ingredient: Clean seed / clean cuttings
- Dose:
- 100% of planting material
- Interval:
- Every planting
- PHI:
- Not applicable
There is no chemical cure for a mosaic virus. Clean stock plus resistant varieties is the whole strategy.
Copper hydroxide 77% WP
Active ingredient: Copper hydroxide
- Dose:
- 2–3 g per litre as a soil drench and foliar spray
- Interval:
- Every 10 days as suppression only
- PHI:
- 1–3 days
Copper suppresses surface spread — it cannot cure a vascular infection. Roguing is still mandatory.
Bleaching powder / calcium hypochlorite
Active ingredient: Calcium hypochlorite 33%
- Dose:
- 10–15 kg/ha broadcast into infested beds, or 1% solution for tool dipping
- Interval:
- Once before planting; dip tools between every plant
- PHI:
- Not applicable (pre-plant)
The single most effective intervention: Ralstonia survives in soil and moves on unsanitised knives.
Doses shown are typical registered field rates. Always read the product label, confirm the product is registered for your crop and country, respect the pre-harvest interval (PHI), and wear the protective equipment the label specifies. PlantWatch AI provides agronomic guidance, not a legal spray recommendation.
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