Cassava Weeder Machines Get Adaptation

International and Nigerian
engineers engaged by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) led Cassava Weed Management Project have made significant progress in the adaptation of motorised mechanical weeders for cassava farming system in Nigeria.
The team of engineers met recently at IITA, Ibadan to brainstorm and modify motorised weeders recently imported by the IITA cassava weed management project for cassava farming system.
Specifically, the team was mandated to evaluate the performance of the machines for general weeding and modify the machine as necessary with special focus on cassava farms.
The team was also expected to establish performance and suitability of the machines for weeding generally with focus on cassava farms, carry out any needed improvement to make the machines usable for cassava  farms, and modify them also for general demonstration.
At the end of the meeting, the engineers modified and adapted 14  motorised weeders to suit cassava farming system in Nigeria.
The machines, our correspondent gathered are currently on field trials across four states of Nigeria Benue, Oyo, Ogun and Abia.
Their performance would determine whether further modification is needed or not.
At the opening of the brain storming meeting, project leader for the IITA, Dr Alfred Dixon, said the motorised mechanical weeders were aimed at providing farmers with a basket of options so they could tackle weeds more efficiently.
He urged the engineers to look beyond adaptation and conceive the idea of developing African made motorised weeders that could tackle the problem of weeds on the continent.
Participants were drawn from IITA, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, Federal  Ministry of Agriculture, Abeokuta, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University, of Technology, Akure and Niji Lukas, a private fabrication and agro allied firm amongst others.