What To Farm?

[Issangeorge]

Okay my wife has 11 rai of non paddy land. We have been using it to graze our cows on during the wet season, but there is no money in cows unless you milk them or raise them for beef, and since there is no milk collection point anywhere near us, milking is out of the question and my wife does not want to sell them directly to the slaughter house, so we have sold most of our cows and only have one left. So what do we do with her 11 rai? We have thought of planting rubber, sugarcane, cassava, or eucalyptus. I decided before we plant anything I should get the soil tested.

Yesterday I took some soil samples to Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (Kalasin Campus). My Thai is very limited, but I went into the main office and between my limited Thai and their limited English I was able to convey to them that I wanted to get my soil tested. They made a phone call and a very nice man came to talk to me. He spoke English very well and was genuinely concerned about helping me. He asked me why I wanted the soil tested and I told him that I was trying to determine what my wife should plant on her land, rubber, cassava, sugarcane, or eucalyptus. He said right away cassava, he said that you have to wait too long to harvest rubber and that it takes skilled labour to harvest it and they want 60% of the selling price. He said that the economics of cassava has changed dramatically in the past few years; he said that with new technology and growing procedures you can get up to 30 tonnes per rai, compared to 3 tonnes a few years ago. He also said that the selling price of cassava was now over 2 baht a kilo as compared to .6 a few years ago. He said that cassava used to be an animal feed crop, but now it was a fuel crop and he saw only a bright future in it. He also said that it will grow on almost any land with very little input to the land and that it was one of the few crops that would do well in the long dry season we have here without irrigation. He strongly recommended growing cassava for poor Issan farmers, he took my soil samples and said that he would test for ph level and salt content; he said that ph level was the only really important thing to know if you wanted to plant cassava. I asked him about potassium and nitrogen levels. He said these were expensive for the poor farmer to get tested (3,000 baht) and they weren't really necessary. I could easily afford this but he was helping me as if I was a poor Isan farmer and I didn't want to discourage him from helping me. He gave me a book on organic farming and a couple of other pamphlets to give to my wife (all in Thai) but said he had some stuff written in English that he would give me later, he was also interested in coming to my home (my home is 100 km from Kalasin City) and talking to my wife and other farmers in the village. He seemed to genuinely want to help the poor Isan farmer improve their lot in life. His name is Pairat Luanthaisong and he was the Assistant President. If anyone is interested in farming in the Kalasin area I suggest you talk to this very nice man. The only thing he told me that I find questionable was the claim that you could get 30 tonnes a rai, but even if you only get 5 tonnes a rai that is still 10,000 baht a year, which is a pretty good return for a crop that has few inputs, you basically plant leave and harvest. Issangeorge

[Nepal4me]

Hi IG,

The price on Cassava/Tapiocca/Mansampalang is going up and it now about 2050 ba/kilo. The issue with the 30tons/rai is a new one. It involves a new strain of Cassava and involves a lot more work, fertilizer and water. They use a technique where they cut 3 rings around the base of the stem before it's planted in the ground. Each of the 3 rings create their own roots so more root per area. In order to get this maximum amount of 30ton/rai, it also has to be watered regularily and fertilized more regularily. So for sure you won't get 30T/rai in an are with a long dry season unless you irrigate.

I am in the process of buying a pile of Cassava of this type and will be planting on about 5 rai to start. I have over 200 rai purchased over the past 6 months and will harvest our current Cassava in Aug/Sept. If this new breed of 30T/rai works will, we'll increase our coverage. Another thing about this 30T/rai breed is that it can be harvested more quickly, i.e. in 6 months.

There is another issue with harvesting this amount of Cassava, 30 tons is a lot of weight. You really should have a tractor with an attachment for pullinging the roots out of the ground if you have enough land. I guess with 11 rai, no need for that. But still it's hard work getting the plants pulled up, cutting out the roots, loading them onto the little tractor thingy that I don't know what you call and then trucking it down to the Cassava plant where they turn it into chips. Depending on the number of people in your family you can harvest maybe a rai/day.

Our land is in Kampaengphet so we have a much longer rainy season and there is also an abundance of water all year long on our land. i.e. ponds and the water table very near the surface. However, I'll beleive it when I see it.... the 30T/rai. But even half that would be great revenue.

[Khonwan]

Hi IG,

The price on Cassava/Tapiocca/Mansampalang is going up and it now about 2050 ba/kilo. The issue with the 30tons/rai is a new one. It involves a new strain of Cassava and involves a lot more work, fertilizer and water. They use a technique where they cut 3 rings around the base of the stem before it's planted in the ground. Each of the 3 rings create their own roots so more root per area. In order to get this maximum amount of 30ton/rai, it also has to be watered regularily and fertilized more regularily. So for sure you won't get 30T/rai in an are with a long dry season unless you irrigate.

I am in the process of buying a pile of Cassava of this type and will be planting on about 5 rai to start. I have over 200 rai purchased over the past 6 months and will harvest our current Cassava in Aug/Sept. If this new breed of 30T/rai works will, we'll increase our coverage. Another thing about this 30T/rai breed is that it can be harvested more quickly, i.e. in 6 months.

There is another issue with harvesting this amount of Cassava, 30 tons is a lot of weight. You really should have a tractor with an attachment for pullinging the roots out of the ground if you have enough land. I guess with 11 rai, no need for that. But still it's hard work getting the plants pulled up, cutting out the roots, loading them onto the little tractor thingy that I don't know what you call and then trucking it down to the Cassava plant where they turn it into chips. Depending on the number of people in your family you can harvest maybe a rai/day.

Our land is in Kampaengphet so we have a much longer rainy season and there is also an abundance of water all year long on our land. i.e. ponds and the water table very near the surface. However, I'll beleive it when I see it.... the 30T/rai. But even half that would be great revenue.

Hi Nepal4me

Very interesting. I thought perhaps Issangeorge had misheard 30 tonne per hectare being quoted.

We use a chisel plough to lift the tubers.

My farm is only 60km from Klong Lan (20km from the Kampaengphet provincial border) but we're currently getting 2,280 baht (up from 2,270 baht two weeks ago).

Rgds

Khonwan

[Khonwan]

Hi Issangeorge

Cassava is indeed a very easy crop to grow but it is not quite a plant & forget crop. The yield is very significantly improved if you fertilise adequately and ensure the crop is free of weeds during the first 3-4 months.

You can get away with not fertilizing when growing on land not previously used for cassava, especially if that land had been used for cattle grazing, but even then, fertilizer will help prevent depletion of nutrients.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Thaddeus]

Have you thought about Jatropha?

Anybody?

[Khonwan]

... we're currently getting 2,280 baht (up from 2,270 baht two weeks ago).

Just heard, our local price has now hit 2,300 baht.

[fruity]

Guys, Can Cassava do well on former rice paddy? I read lots regarding the crops tolerance to little or no water, but nothing about a possible over abundance during the wet season?

[Khonwan]

Guys, Can Cassava do well on former rice paddy? I read lots regarding the crops tolerance to little or no water, but nothing about a possible over abundance during the wet season?

Hi fruity

Cassava tubers will rot without good drainage.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Issangeorge]

With Cassava at 2,300 baht a tonne even if you only get 5 tonnes a rai per year, which with the new technology seems easily achieved that works out to 10,600 baht per rai. If this trend holds land that used to be pretty cheap because it was not really good for anything but growing cassava will go way up in price at 50,000 baht per rai you would still make a good return and most of this land was selling for 25,000 baht or a lot less per rai. If you have some extra cash you might want to keep your eyes open. I have a little extra cash, but so far in my area there has been no land for sale except for some very overpriced rice land, although considering the price of rice now a days it might not be so over priced anymore. Nepal4me could you lead me to more information on getting 30 tonnes per rai yield for cassava. Thanks, Issangeorge

[oldoldgit!!]

GUANGZHOU, China, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Oilseed plant jatropha does not offer an easy answer to biofuels problems as some countries hope, because it can be toxic and yields are unreliable, experts and industry officials warned on Wednesday.

The woody plant can grow on barren, marginal land, and so is increasingly popular in countries such as China that are keen to boost biofuels output but nervous about food security.

But its nuts and leaves are toxic, requiring careful handling by farmers and at crushing plants, said experts at an oils and fats conference.

In addition, it is a labour-intensive crop as each fruit ripens at a different time and needs to be harvested separately. Its productivity is also low and has yet to be stabilised.

M. R. Chandran, adviser to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, told Reuters it would take five years of intensive research before jatropha could achieve productivity that would make its cultivation economically viable. The oil yield of the plant, originating in Africa and still largely a wild species, is less than 2 tonnes per hectare with large swings from year to year.

An engineer specialising in oil and fat processing plants, including for biodiesel production, said special facilities were needed for crushing jatropha nuts as they could produce a toxic vapour.

The engineer, who declined to be named, said his company hoped to seal a deal with a private investor to build one of the world's first large-scale jatropha-based biodiesel plants in China's southern province of Yunnan before the end of this year.

[gwynt]

Hi IG,

The price on Cassava/Tapiocca/Mansampalang is going up and it now about 2050 ba/kilo. The issue with the 30tons/rai is a new one. It involves a new strain of Cassava and involves a lot more work, fertilizer and water. They use a technique where they cut 3 rings around the base of the stem before it's planted in the ground. Each of the 3 rings create their own roots so more root per area. In order to get this maximum amount of 30ton/rai, it also has to be watered regularily and fertilized more regularily. So for sure you won't get 30T/rai in an are with a long dry season unless you irrigate.

I am in the process of buying a pile of Cassava of this type and will be planting on about 5 rai to start. I have over 200 rai purchased over the past 6 months and will harvest our current Cassava in Aug/Sept. If this new breed of 30T/rai works will, we'll increase our coverage. Another thing about this 30T/rai breed is that it can be harvested more quickly, i.e. in 6 months.

There is another issue with harvesting this amount of Cassava, 30 tons is a lot of weight. You really should have a tractor with an attachment for pullinging the roots out of the ground if you have enough land. I guess with 11 rai, no need for that. But still it's hard work getting the plants pulled up, cutting out the roots, loading them onto the little tractor thingy that I don't know what you call and then trucking it down to the Cassava plant where they turn it into chips. Depending on the number of people in your family you can harvest maybe a rai/day.

Our land is in Kampaengphet so we have a much longer rainy season and there is also an abundance of water all year long on our land. i.e. ponds and the water table very near the surface. However, I'll beleive it when I see it.... the 30T/rai. But even half that would be great revenue.

Hi Nepal4me

Very interesting. I thought perhaps Issangeorge had misheard 30 tonne per hectare being quoted.

We use a chisel plough to lift the tubers.

My farm is only 60km from Klong Lan (20km from the Kampaengphet provincial border) but we're currently getting 2,280 baht (up from 2,270 baht two weeks ago).

Rgds

Khonwan

Hi the "chisel plough" you refer to is that what is used to set up furrows the same as would be used for potatoes?

I assume you would need to remove the foliage first as this is what is used for planting next years crop

Excuse all the questions but I am still at the planning stage of farming, still working in oil industry, but wife is farming the 50 rai we have so far, near Loei and of course I am still the stupid Fallang, also where could I get hold of the plough as the locals still plant straight into the ground so no availability in the locality. We already have a tractor.

[Khonwan]

Hi the "chisel plough" you refer to is that what is used to set up furrows the same as would be used for potatoes?

I assume you would need to remove the foliage first as this is what is used for planting next years crop

Excuse all the questions but I am still at the planning stage of farming, still working in oil industry, but wife is farming the 50 rai we have so far, near Loei and of course I am still the stupid Fallang, also where could I get hold of the plough as the locals still plant straight into the ground so no availability in the locality. We already have a tractor.

Hi gwynt

I'm attaching two photos of chisel ploughs - the first for my Ford tractor, the 2nd attached to my neighbour's small tractor. I'm calling it a chisel plough - I think that is the correct English name. I'm more familiar with Thai farming names - it is called a pan yoke man in Thai ('root lifting implement').

These are used in harvesting the tubers. They just loosen and bring the tubers to the surface for labourers to manually seperate from the stem 'handle' and collect.

Any local metalwork shop will make these for you. I think the current price runs from around 1,200 baht for small tractors to 1,800 baht for large tractors.

Before using this, you must first cut the trees down (to around 6" from the ground is normal). The stems will be used for follow-on cultivation, or can be sold should you have an excess. Any material you are not going to use (or sell) should be left where cut (to return the nutrients to the ground via ploughing).

Rgds

Khonwan

[Khonwan]

Any local metalwork shop will make these for you. I think the current price runs from around 1,200 baht for small tractors to 1,800 baht for large tractors.

Ah! Just noticed my error. Revised text:

Any local metalwork shop will make these for you. I think the current price runs from around 12,000 baht for small tractors to 18,000 baht for large tractors.

Sorry

Khonwan

[Gary A]

My wife just told me about a new problem with mun Thai (Cassava). Since the price is way up there is not enough root stock available. She told me that on the more remote farms thieves are stealing the newly planted roots right out of the ground. We have ten rai that is a couple kilometers from any houses and have decided to plant Eucalyptus. I hope they don't steal those. WHAT a disgusting shame.

[fruity]

Thanks Khonwan. We have recently aquired another 30 rai, always been used for growing rice, we have talked about Cassava, but, worry about the wet season. In view of the recent price hike on rice, it may be just as well to stick with that?

Guys, Can Cassava do well on former rice paddy? I read lots regarding the crops tolerance to little or no water, but nothing about a possible over abundance during the wet season?

Hi fruity

Cassava tubers will rot without good drainage.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Khonwan]

.... Nepal4me could you lead me to more information on getting 30 tonnes per rai yield for cassava. Thanks, Issangeorge

Hi Nepal4me

I also am interested to read further information on this. What is its name? Any links or written info you can scan? From where can the stems be purchased? Cost? Extra fertiliser - how much extra? What's the recommended spacing?

I'd like to try 1-5 rai myself.

Rgds

Khonwan

[billd766]

.... Nepal4me could you lead me to more information on getting 30 tonnes per rai yield for cassava. Thanks, Issangeorge

Hi Nepal4me

I also am interested to read further information on this. What is its name? Any links or written info you can scan? From where can the stems be purchased? Cost? Extra fertiliser - how much extra? What's the recommended spacing?

I'd like to try 1-5 rai myself.

Rgds

Khonwan

Me too

Billd766

[gwynt]

Hi the "chisel plough" you refer to is that what is used to set up furrows the same as would be used for potatoes?

I assume you would need to remove the foliage first as this is what is used for planting next years crop

Excuse all the questions but I am still at the planning stage of farming, still working in oil industry, but wife is farming the 50 rai we have so far, near Loei and of course I am still the stupid Fallang, also where could I get hold of the plough as the locals still plant straight into the ground so no availability in the locality. We already have a tractor.

Hi gwynt

I'm attaching two photos of chisel ploughs - the first for my Ford tractor, the 2nd attached to my neighbour's small tractor. I'm calling it a chisel plough - I think that is the correct English name. I'm more familiar with Thai farming names - it is called a pan yoke man in Thai ('root lifting implement').

These are used in harvesting the tubers. They just loosen and bring the tubers to the surface for labourers to manually seperate from the stem 'handle' and collect.

Any local metalwork shop will make these for you. I think the current price runs from around 1,200 baht for small tractors to 1,800 baht for large tractors.

Before using this, you must first cut the trees down (to around 6" from the ground is normal). The stems will be used for follow-on cultivation, or can be sold should you have an excess. Any material you are not going to use (or sell) should be left where cut (to return the nutrients to the ground via ploughing).

Rgds

Khonwan

Khonwan

Thanks for the info , I had a completely different picture in my mind, I come from a potatoe producing area of wales and i was thinking of the tool used for producing raised furrows, but on second thoughts would need a lot of power to lift two rows at a time.

I will show my wife the pictures and I am sure she will know some one who can produce the same, she is Thai so she knows everything

Gwynt

[ozzydom]

Hi the "chisel plough" you refer to is that what is used to set up furrows the same as would be used for potatoes?

I assume you would need to remove the foliage first as this is what is used for planting next years crop

Excuse all the questions but I am still at the planning stage of farming, still working in oil industry, but wife is farming the 50 rai we have so far, near Loei and of course I am still the stupid Fallang, also where could I get hold of the plough as the locals still plant straight into the ground so no availability in the locality. We already have a tractor.

Hi gwynt

I'm attaching two photos of chisel ploughs - the first for my Ford tractor, the 2nd attached to my neighbour's small tractor. I'm calling it a chisel plough - I think that is the correct English name. I'm more familiar with Thai farming names - it is called a pan yoke man in Thai ('root lifting implement').

These are used in harvesting the tubers. They just loosen and bring the tubers to the surface for labourers to manually seperate from the stem 'handle' and collect.

Any local metalwork shop will make these for you. I think the current price runs from around 1,200 baht for small tractors to 1,800 baht for large tractors.

Before using this, you must first cut the trees down (to around 6" from the ground is normal). The stems will be used for follow-on cultivation, or can be sold should you have an excess. Any material you are not going to use (or sell) should be left where cut (to return the nutrients to the ground via ploughing).

Rgds

Khonwan

Khonwan

Thanks for the info , I had a completely different picture in my mind, I come from a potatoe producing area of wales and i was thinking of the tool used for producing raised furrows, but on second thoughts would need a lot of power to lift two rows at a time.

I will show my wife the pictures and I am sure she will know some one who can produce the same, she is Thai so she knows everything

Gwynt

Maybe you were thinking of a mouldboard plough Gwynt, they are what is normally used on potato farms in Tassie.

SAP would know if they are available in Los as he was well into potato growing here.

Because you have to pull them through the soil and cut ,lift and turn the furrow ,they take a bit more hp than discs, a three furrow set would probably use the same hp as a seven disc set.

I have seen a small two opposing mouldboard set-up with a corn sowing machine which sows and hills in one operation .it was a pretty lightweight affair for a small tractor or buffalo.

[gwynt]

Hi the "chisel plough" you refer to is that what is used to set up furrows the same as would be used for potatoes?

I assume you would need to remove the foliage first as this is what is used for planting next years crop

Excuse all the questions but I am still at the planning stage of farming, still working in oil industry, but wife is farming the 50 rai we have so far, near Loei and of course I am still the stupid Fallang, also where could I get hold of the plough as the locals still plant straight into the ground so no availability in the locality. We already have a tractor.

Hi gwynt

I'm attaching two photos of chisel ploughs - the first for my Ford tractor, the 2nd attached to my neighbour's small tractor. I'm calling it a chisel plough - I think that is the correct English name. I'm more familiar with Thai farming names - it is called a pan yoke man in Thai ('root lifting implement').

These are used in harvesting the tubers. They just loosen and bring the tubers to the surface for labourers to manually seperate from the stem 'handle' and collect.

Any local metalwork shop will make these for you. I think the current price runs from around 1,200 baht for small tractors to 1,800 baht for large tractors.

Before using this, you must first cut the trees down (to around 6" from the ground is normal). The stems will be used for follow-on cultivation, or can be sold should you have an excess. Any material you are not going to use (or sell) should be left where cut (to return the nutrients to the ground via ploughing).

Rgds

Khonwan

Khonwan

Thanks for the info , I had a completely different picture in my mind, I come from a potatoe producing area of wales and i was thinking of the tool used for producing raised furrows, but on second thoughts would need a lot of power to lift two rows at a time.

I will show my wife the pictures and I am sure she will know some one who can produce the same, she is Thai so she knows everything

Gwynt

Maybe you were thinking of a mouldboard plough Gwynt, they are what is normally used on potato farms in Tassie.

SAP would know if they are available in Los as he was well into potato growing here.

Because you have to pull them through the soil and cut ,lift and turn the furrow ,they take a bit more hp than discs, a three furrow set would probably use the same hp as a seven disc set.

I have seen a small two opposing mouldboard set-up with a corn sowing machine which sows and hills in one operation .it was a pretty lightweight affair for a small tractor or buffalo.

Hi Ozzydom

Now that this old brain has woken up you are right. The mouldboard is used at the front of the tractor so that the furrow is formed and the tractor wheels run in the valley, as I remember there was two and half furrows formed at a time on well tilled soil therefore not a lot of HP required, but saying that HP is not a problem as the tractor we have bought is 75HP Kubhuto which handles a 7 disc plough no problem.

I found a web site showing the mouldboard plough, near Bangkok, but didn't save it.

Cheers

Gwynt

[chownah]

Wow!! I've never heard of a mouldboard plow being pushed by a tractor.....is this something special for potatoes?

Chownah

[Nepal4me]

.... Nepal4me could you lead me to more information on getting 30 tonnes per rai yield for cassava. Thanks, Issangeorge

Hi Nepal4me

I also am interested to read further information on this. What is its name? Any links or written info you can scan? From where can the stems be purchased? Cost? Extra fertiliser - how much extra? What's the recommended spacing?

I'd like to try 1-5 rai myself.

Rgds

Khonwan

Me too

Billd766

I will get more details on it. I'm traveling abroad now for the next 2 weeks. I'll ask my wife to try to get some info from her mother, my wife is in BKK and will need to wait till mom comes back to BKK to bring the info. Mom doesn't do sophisticated stuff like the internet or faxing. My wife is taking care of the kids so she can't easily or often go up there. But for sure I'll get the details and will pass them on here.

[Khonwan]

.... Nepal4me could you lead me to more information on getting 30 tonnes per rai yield for cassava. Thanks, Issangeorge

Hi Nepal4me

I also am interested to read further information on this. What is its name? Any links or written info you can scan? From where can the stems be purchased? Cost? Extra fertiliser - how much extra? What's the recommended spacing?

I'd like to try 1-5 rai myself.

Rgds

Khonwan

Me too

Billd766

I will get more details on it. I'm traveling abroad now for the next 2 weeks. I'll ask my wife to try to get some info from her mother, my wife is in BKK and will need to wait till mom comes back to BKK to bring the info. Mom doesn't do sophisticated stuff like the internet or faxing. My wife is taking care of the kids so she can't easily or often go up there. But for sure I'll get the details and will pass them on here.

Thanks.

Rgds

Khonwan

[gwynt]

Wow!! I've never heard of a mouldboard plow being pushed by a tractor.....is this something special for potatoes?

Chownah

Hi Chownah

I am going back a few-ww years, my family were and still are farmers in Wales, I used to have to drive an old ferguson T20 tractor with the aforesaid "mawlboard"( welsh pronounciation) attached to the front if when I next get in touch with family I will try to get a photo.

Cheers

gwynt

[ozzydom]

There certainly was a front mount mouldboard,ours was mounted on a ripper tyne,it was part of a multi function set-up for sowing potato sets.

First off the front tyne opened up a furrow and on the tractor mounted over the PTO behind the driver was a hopper bin,somebody sits up there and feeds the spud sets down a chute into the furrow at appropriate spacings.

Then mounted on the rear is a pair of opposing mouldboards which turned the furrows inward, covering the seed potato and creating a hill at the same pass,it was a pretty ingenius affair for over 50 years ago.

As a matter of interest there was also a hillside mouldboard to use with a draught horse when contour ploughing steep hillsides.

To help prevent erosion it is practice to always turn the furrow uphill,so when you finished a pass in one direction you turned around ,lifted the plough (with heaps of effort ) and swung the pivotting mouldboard 180 degrees so that it turned the furrow uphill again.

ozzy

[gwynt]

There certainly was a front mount mouldboard,ours was mounted on a ripper tyne,it was part of a multi function set-up for sowing potato sets.

First off the front tyne opened up a furrow and on the tractor mounted over the PTO behind the driver was a hopper bin,somebody sits up there and feeds the spud sets down a chute into the furrow at appropriate spacings.

Then mounted on the rear is a pair of opposing mouldboards which turned the furrows inward, covering the seed potato and creating a hill at the same pass,it was a pretty ingenius affair for over 50 years ago.

As a matter of interest there was also a hillside mouldboard to use with a draught horse when contour ploughing steep hillsides.

To help prevent erosion it is practice to always turn the furrow uphill,so when you finished a pass in one direction you turned around ,lifted the plough (with heaps of effort ) and swung the pivotting mouldboard 180 degrees so that it turned the furrow uphill again.

ozzy

Ozzy

I have been that very person feeding in the spuds ( child labour of course) Blo*dy hard work,

Back more to the cassava, we have 13 rai of sugar cane which is planted in furrows albeit larger than potato furrows and this is what I thought could be used for the cassava allowing more space for the tubers to grow and make it easier to lift them.

We have recently rented 10rai into which we intend to plant cassava and if I can find a mould board plough use this system.

gwynt

[Khonwan]

...Back more to the cassava, we have 13 rai of sugar cane which is planted in furrows albeit larger than potato furrows and this is what I thought could be used for the cassava allowing more space for the tubers to grow and make it easier to lift them.

We have recently rented 10rai into which we intend to plant cassava and if I can find a mould board plough use this system.

gwynt

Hi gwynt

We use a ridger (an implement with two large opposing disks similar to the disks used on a 3-disk harrower) affixed to the rear of the tractor for this. Easily obtained at the same places making "chisel ploughs" (at around the same price, I think).

Rgds

Khonwan

[gwynt]

...Back more to the cassava, we have 13 rai of sugar cane which is planted in furrows albeit larger than potato furrows and this is what I thought could be used for the cassava allowing more space for the tubers to grow and make it easier to lift them.

We have recently rented 10rai into which we intend to plant cassava and if I can find a mould board plough use this system.

gwynt

Hi gwynt

We use a ridger (an implement with two large opposing disks similar to the disks used on a 3-disk harrower) affixed to the rear of the tractor for this. Easily obtained at the same places making "chisel ploughs" (at around the same price, I think).

Rgds

Khonwan

Thanxs

I arrive back in Thai 22 Feb so will make enquires.

Gwynt

[Khonwan]

.... Nepal4me could you lead me to more information on getting 30 tonnes per rai yield for cassava. Thanks, Issangeorge

Hi Nepal4me

I also am interested to read further information on this. What is its name? Any links or written info you can scan? From where can the stems be purchased? Cost? Extra fertiliser - how much extra? What's the recommended spacing?

I'd like to try 1-5 rai myself.

Rgds

Khonwan

Me too

Billd766

I will get more details on it. I'm traveling abroad now for the next 2 weeks. I'll ask my wife to try to get some info from her mother, my wife is in BKK and will need to wait till mom comes back to BKK to bring the info. Mom doesn't do sophisticated stuff like the internet or faxing. My wife is taking care of the kids so she can't easily or often go up there. But for sure I'll get the details and will pass them on here.

Nepal4me

Did you manage to find any written info?

Rgds

Khonwan

[Maizefarmer]

Here is some practical info based on my experience growing the stuff.

Fertiliser: 12 – 12 – 18

Rate: +/- 85kg p/rai

Note* - who do not want high N level’s in the soil when growing cassava – high N will promote foliage growth at the expense of tuber development.

The 2 big health problems:

a) Blight – avoided by using inoculated root stock and only planting after the rainy season has finished.

Brown Spot – avoided by asking if your root stock is tolerant.

Choosing Root Stock – your failure or success

- Any thing from 14cm – 21cm is fine.

- Best taken from the mid-section of plants – so watch out for stock that has no evidence of branches having grown off it (chances are it is not mid-section) – a good check is to se how many stem buds are on the stake – 4 upwards is good

- Thickness: not less than 2,6cm and not greater than 3,6cm (make up a “go – no go” measure with a piece of wood with 2 holes of the above diameters drilled through it – the “stake” should fit through the bigger hole but not the smaller hole – give one to all labourers who are checking the root stock for you and explain tot them how to use it.)

- check it is fresh – better still if you can select the plants you are intending to use as stock that has to be the way to go.

- Soak the cut stock in a fungacide treatment for 3 – 5 minutes, then take out and allow to dry in a shady area.

- Benlate (avalible from DuPont Thailand) is probably the best/easiest to get/safest treatment to use – use properly. You can get others – they all use an active ingredient called thibendazol (something like that)

- You can plant as soon as they are dry - or store if certain precautions are taken but the 2 times I have stored have being the 2 worst subesequent crops.

Land Prep:

Soil structure is important for root development – in particular starch content (just because a root is big does not mean it has a lot of starch in it!). To compact and it will retain moisture and lead to root damage – ideally you want a compact surface (first few cm) below which lies a loose structure.

- Deep plough as deep as you (the tractor and plough you have) can

- Leave for 8 – 12 days

- Apply chicken manure about 2 days before harrowing the soil 200kg p/rai will be great.

- Then harrow – any tractor/harrow combination will be just fine. This is to break up the large clods, level off and compact the top soil structure to a depth of about 6cm – 9cm.

- Furrow the land +/- 10cm from top of furrowed soil to bottom of furrow i.e. about 5cm below the groundlevel if lying flat.

Planting

You can plant it lying flat, or at a tilted angle or even just pushed halfway way into the ground.

- If the later then try to ensure the half that is sticking out is the half that was uppermost in the plant from which it was taken (i.e. try not to plant upside down)

- If flat, then cover with 2cm – 4cm of soil and a handful of 12 – 12 – 18 fertliser

- Row and plant spacing 1m x 1m is fine.

- Leave 8 – 18 months.

- You probably best off using manual labour to plant the stuff

Harvesting

Just as others have already said – loosing the soil with any kind of plough on the side of each row - a single mouldboard set as deep as possible will work great for this

Cassava does not last long out of the ground – no more than a couple days without treatment, so decide before hand what you intend to do with it.

Stripping all leaves from the plants a couple days prior to harvesting will prolong the unprocessed shelf life of roots/tubers once lifted (I use the leaves in silage mixes).

For cattle feed – slice or grate fresh and allow to dry, then mix with crushed maize or whatever else you want to include in it – can be stored for months so long as it stays dry. For other uses someone else can comment – my only experience is with using it as cattle feed supplement.

Read up on storage – there is loads on the net which is as applicable to Thailand as it is in any other hot/humid climate – get everything planned and organised properly for before you lift the roots from the ground, otherwise you could stand to loose the lot (it doesn’t last long out of the ground without proper care).

Remember – cassava doesn’t have to be harvested when its ready – it can be left in the ground till the next season if you wish, which if the conditions are right (as well as market conditions) can be a good thing – but you’ll have to pull a couple plant every month to check the state of the roots – if they start getting woody you’ll have to lift it all straightaway

How much per rai? – my best ever was 4327kg’s, my worst was 874kg’s, my average over 13 crops is 2012kg’s ( a little below the Thai average of around 2400kg’s).