Farmers in Gulu District have been urged to grow different varieties of cassava to minimize risk of cases of diseases.
Paul Timothy Kilama, the Senior Gulu district Agriculture Officer, gave this advice following a suspected outbreak of cassava brown streak disease in Owoo sub county where several gardens are affected.
Cassava Brown Streak Disease is a viral disease that causes yellow patches on leaves and dry, brown rotting in the tubers, potentially leading to 100% yield loss and rendering the crops completely inedible.
Farmers are always advised to uproot and burn or bury the affected plants since there is no cure for the disease.
They are also advised against planting the same variety of cassava for at least a year to get rid of the disease.
Kilama says besides local varieties, there are several improved cassava varieties currently available for farmers to plant adding that some are more resistant to disease compared to others.
Local varieties include ‘’Okonyo ladak’’ while improved varieties include NASE 14 which is high yielding and tolerant to Cassava Brown Streak Disease.
The National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) says NASE 14 is good for both food security and commercial flour production.
Other improved varieties are NASE 19-Known for its early maturity (around 8-10 months) and significant drought tolerance, NAROCASS 1-a game-changing, highly adaptable variety resistant to Cassava Mosaic Disease while NAROCASS 2 variety which is similar to NAROCASS 1 provides dual-resistance to both Cassava Mosaic Disease and Cassava Brown Streak Disease.
By Justine Muboka
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