Intended as both an instructional and a reference tool, the volume covers the production and postharvest treatment of cassava. The first part describes production constraints including pests , diseases, weeds, soils agronomic factors, and socioeconomic considerations. In part two, plant morphology, plant physiology and plant breeding are related to yields and diseases resistance. Part three covers postharvest treatment and part four describes cassava research. A bibliography of recommended reading is included.

The public sector extension service in Nigeria was anchored by the Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs). In Rivers State, the ADP was established in 1987 as a semi-autonomous, self accounting unit with the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and funding was based on the following ration, RSG -14%, FG-20% and world bank-66%. Similarly, the private sector extension services in Rivers State was provided by the multinational oil and gas companies notably, SPDC, TEPNG and NAOC with SPDC taken the lead, hence its choice in the study. SPDC started agricultural projects in 1965 in Ogoni but the activities were blown to limelight in early 90s with 9 extension officers resident in the company's host communities called zones. The main objectives of the public and private sector extension services was to ensure food security through communication of technologies to farmers for enhanced adoption of improved varieties and farming systems mostly in the areas of crop, fisheries and animal productions. This study x-rayed the adoption of improved cassava varieties that was considered in great demand over local varieties (due to its numerous advantages) as a source of major staple food (garri, amala, fufu) in Nigeria. Participatory and interactive bottom-up approach was employed to obtain data from the farmers and extension officers. Simple descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were used. Technologies considered influential on improved cassava varieties adoption were planting time, planting length/population, planting distance (spacing), planting regime, weed control, appropriate fertilizer availability / application methods, harvesting time and other agronomic procedures. Results showed moderate adoption of overall recommended technologies of improved cassava production from farmers served by the public and private sector extension services but relatively higher adoption rate by the private sector than the public sector. A phenomenon caused by additional incentives by the operators of the private sector extension system. However, there was a significant difference in the adoption of recommended planting date between farmers reached by public and private extension officers. Conversely, there were no significant differences between farmers served by the extension systems with respect to the adoption of spacing, fertilizer type and fertilizer quantity. Thus, it revealed that when the component technologies were pooled, their overall adoption was not significantly different between farmers served by the public and private sector extension services. It was also found that private sector extension system operates like a social responsibility without legislative framework; hence their continued operation in Nigeria was doubtful. This situation could impose a serious threat to food security and negatively affect government transformation plan for agriculture. It was recommended among others that the skills of extension officers of both public and private sectors be improved through periodic trainings. Regular logistics was important for effective extension system and that holistic approach using Research-Extension-Farmers-Inputs-Linkage-System (REFILS) should be employed and MTRM organized so that the farmers through the extension officers would constantly be informed of new varieties from the Research Institutes. Legislative framework would be a must for multinational oil and gas companies in Nigeria to continued support for agricultural development. In conclusion, until cassava production is enhanced through mass adoption of improved varieties, the Federal Government plan of using cassava flour as input in bread production would introduce scarcity to source of Nigerian most staple food which could result to starvation. This scenario and security situation in Nigeria would rather be imagined than described.

Research on improved cassava varieties in Nigeria was championed by IITA to enhance food security. Most new varieties had enormous advantages over the local varieties that had familiar terrain; hence mass adoption should be advocated. The public extension services adopted Training and Visit (T & V) system to canvas for adoption of the improved varieties. Similarly, the private sector extension system of the oil and gas companies bombarded same farmers with similar messages on improved cassava varieties. It appeared that the public and private sector extension approaches did not yield anticipated results as cultivation of local varieties was still on the increase in Rivers State, Nigeria. Thus, there was need to evaluate the technology packages in terms of agricultural extension messages on improved cassava varieties by the public and private systems as represented by Rivers State ADP and SPDC agric services respectively based on content, communication method and farming systems. This was indeed the main objective of the study. Methodology was participatory through interviews, Focused Group Discussion and questionnaires to semi-literate farmers. Data was obtained from both the service providers (extension agents) and clientele. It was difficult to isolate farmers based on sources of information. The public and private extension agencies targeted same farmers, a situation that created confusion in understanding, assimilation and adoption of technologies on improved cassava varieties. This confusion seemed to have caused moderate adoption while cultivation of local varieties was still on the increase regardless the concerted efforts of public and private sector extension systems. Analysis was by simple descriptive statistics, t-test and correlation. Results showed that farmers targeted by both public and private sectors were mostly illiterates on subsistence agriculture while cassava production was treated as "a woman crop". The content of extension messages (technologies) was not concise but ambiguous; thereby leading to multiple interpretations. The public sector extension officers complained of no sustainable mobility which affected frequency of visits. Extension officers from both public and private sectors became complaisant and relied on each other to fill gaps of inefficiency. This confirmed the adage "goats owned by more than a person always die of starvation". Farmers were left at the mercy of managing distorted information from extension officers. The private sector saw agricultural extension as Corporate Social Responsibility based on charity and not supported by any legislation or policy framework. It was adjudged as not having direct bearing to the upstream or downstream oil and gas sectors. Thus, agricultural extension service was down-played hence SPDC recently scrapped its agricultural services while TEPNG and NAOC are in dilemma of continued support to farmers. It was recommended that legislative and policy framework enforcing private sector extension system be required to demonstrate political will to sustain agricultural development in Nigeria and by implication, an assurance for food security. Commercial farms headed by men should be involved to enhance commercial production of cassava in Nigeria. Federal government of Nigeria should provide special incentive to encourage public and private sector extension services to sustain planned economic empowerment programme. Finally, as literacy level enhances assimilation of extension messages, special education should be organized for rural farmers as is the case with nomadic education to increase adoption rates. Conclusively, significant relationship exists between understanding of extension packages (messages) by clienteles and adoption of improved cassava varieties; hence the Federal Government of Nigeria will need to build this phenomenon into its transformation agenda for food security.

Cassava is Africa's second most important food crop. The cassava transformation that is now underway in West Africa is fueled by new high yielding TMS varieties that have transformed cassava from a low-yielding, famine-reserve crop to a high-yielding cash crop for both rural and urban consumers. The book highlights the role of cassava as a "poverty fighter" by increasing cassava productivity and driving down the cost of cassava in rural and urban diets.

Introduction; The smallholder socioeconomic environment; Cassava production with purchased inputs; Cassava production response to use of purchased inputs; Production for sale; Household cash income generation; Impact of high-yielding varieties on cassava cash income; Summary of observations and conclusion.