El cultivo de la yuca en La Colorada, Media Luna

A detailed socio-economic description is given of this rustic farm community on the Atlantic Coast of Colombia. Where cassava is the main source of income. Av temp is 28 degrees Celsius, annual rainfall 1556 mm; the sandy soils (pH 5.5-6) have less than 1 percent OM, less than 15 ppm P and less than 0.15 meq K/g. Since 1960 the farmers have had contact with several agricultural institutions including the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario and CIAT, which 1st held regional trials there in 1974. In 1977 the validation of technology was begun based on the results of these trials. The preferred var. is Venezolana (av yield 7 t). Cassava is usually planted in association with maize, cowpeas or sesame, according to the time of year; when planted alone, a ground cover (Citrullus vulgaris) is usually used. The most profitable association is cassava-maize-sesame. Some farmers practice crop rotation with sesame every 2-4 yr or leave the land planted to guinea grass (Panicum maximum) 1 1/2-3 yr. Pests of importance are termites, mites and the whitefly Aleurotrachelus sp.; diseases are white and brown leaf spots, CBB and superelongation. Cassava is used for on-farm consumption including animal feed and is sold on a nearby market for starch. Prices fluctuate, being higher in the rainy season when the farmer is planting and lower when he is harvesting. (CIAT)