Cassava

The cassava or manioc (Manihot esculenta; also yuca in Spanish, mandioca, aipim, or macaxeira in Portuguese, and mandio in Guaraní) is a woody perennial shrub of the spurge family, that is extensively cultivated as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. It was originally observed in what are now called Brazil and Paraguay, and today is widely diffused in tropical and subtropical regions, and may be called the "potato of the tropics". All known species and varieties are cultigens.

Cassava pests

In Africa the cassava mealybug (Phenacocus manihoti) and cassava green mite (Monoychellus tanajoa) can cause up to 80% crop loss, which is extremely detrimental to the production of subsistence farmers. These pests were rampant in the 1970s and 1980s but were brought under control following the establishment of the Biological Control Centre for Africa. The Centre investigated biological control for cassava pests and two South American insects Epidinicarsis lopezi and Typhlodromalus aripo were found to effectively control the cassava mealybug and the cassava green mite respectively.

Related Topics:
Mealybug - Cassava green mite - Subsistence - Biological Control Centre for Africa - Biological control - South American - Epidinicarsis lopezi - Typhlodromalus aripo

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