EU-ARD Project
Crop Diversification
Cassava Variety On-Farm Evaluation trial - Kopafo Pilot Site
Brief Background
The main staple food crops for the PNG farming communities are sweet potato, Banana, cassava, yam (D.
alata & D. esculenta) and sago. With the current changes in climatic conditions and especially the
weather pattern with either prolonged drought or prolonged wet season, the food crop production in most
areas has been affected. Also with the regular tropical cyclones the crop production is also affected and
that leads to food shortage at times. The increased range in intensity and frequency of change in the sea
surface temperature is a major course of Climate change. Climate change has influenced changes in
weather pattern with either prolong rainy season or prolong dry season. The change in weather pattern
has its impact on living things including man, plants, animals and micro-organisms. All living things are
adapting to the climate change. Of interest to food production for human is the adoption by insects and
micro-organisms that is giving rise to new pests and diseases to domesticated plants that that are major
food source for human and of which man has no past encounter with as problematic hence has no
knowledge on the management of this organisms.
Farmers are adapting to the changes in use of diversifying crop species, tolerant cultivars within species
and exploiting the biology of the tolerant cultivars with use of improved production techniques such as
drought tolerant yam species, drought tolerant cassava varieties, yam mini-set technology, PT of sweet
potato, and other improved food production practices that may be useful to the communities.
Through the EU-ARD project the target communities have prioritized through a community workshop to
diversify their crops with either new crop varieties and/or crop species with tolerance for either excess
moisture or moisture deficit (drought) such as cassava and African yam (D. rotundata). Cassava varieties
and rotundata yam with improved cultivation practices were identified for introduction for demonstration
and trialed on-farm in communities to improve food production for own use and for income generation.
The cassava production at Murukanam, Kopafo and Hisu were either affected by drought and/ or cyclone.
Desirable traits for cassava are early maturing, dwarf varieties, high yielding and good taste.
In the case of Kopafo’s prolong dry conditions, fourteen cassava varieties inclusive of twelve (12) NARI
recommended two (2) common farmer varieties were included in the on-farm evaluation demonstration
trial sites. Through participatory evaluation and selection process with the communities, the best
performing yield and sensory traits will be selected and adopted by the farmers to address some of the
production constrains identified in the area.
The on-farm cassava evaluation/demonstration trial at Kopafo pilot site are established at three respective
sites; (a) Lulugu, (b) Sareparo and (c) Son Stone village based on the distribution of the population and
social structure (clan) in the area.
Goal: Improved food production capacity of the pilot communities through introduction of improved
cassava varieties to reduce the effect of food shortage induce by the adverse weather conditions.
Objectives: To diversify and improve cassava production.
1
Trial detail:
Number of cutting/station:
 1 x cutting/station
 1 row with 11 plants per variety
Plant Spacing:
 1m x 1m for all varieties
Trial design:
 Complete randomized block design
Trial assessment:
 Monthly
Assessment:
Assessment
Area
Parameters
Growth vigor
Weekly growth Canopy establishment
Collection
Incidence and severity of pest and disease
Response to excess moisture/drought
Total no. of tubers per mound
Total tuber weight (kg)
No. of market-able tubers
Yield
Wt. of market-able tubers (kg)
No. of non-market-able tubers
Wt. of non-market-able tubers (kg)
Tuber flesh colour
Tuber shape
Number of varieties used: (11 varieties)
a) 11 varieties– NARI recommended and supplied.
b) 2 varieties – Farmer common varieties.
2
Varieties used:
Variety Name
Origin
LAISI
L06
L12
L51
L54
L78
L86
L92
Aiyme (HME) 001
Aiyme (HME) 004
Aiyme (HME) 009
Aiyme (HME) 010
Local yellow (LCI)
Local white (LCII)
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Laloki, NARI
Aiyura, NARI
Aiyura, NARI
Aiyura, NARI
Aiyura, NARI
Kopafo
Kopafo
Comment
All plant materials dried up on arrival at the trial site was not
sampled in the trials.
Ok, but some plant materials dried up - proceed planting.
Ok, but some plant materials dried up - proceed planting.
Ok.
Ok, but some plant materials dried up - proceed planting.
Ok.
Ok.
Ok.
Materials in good planting condition.
Materials in good planting condition.
Materials in good planting condition.
Materials in good planting condition.
Materials in good planting condition.
Materials in good planting condition.
3
Field plot layout for Trial One (1): Lulugu cassava variety on-farm evaluation trial site
1m
13m
L06
LC-I
L12
L78
HME-010
L86
HME-009
HME-001
L06
L51
L12
L51
HME-009
L12
HME-004
L51
L78
LC-I
HME-001
HME-010
L51
L06
L78
L92
LC - II
HME-009
HME-004
L54
HME-010
L06
L54
LC - II
HME-001
L51
L86
L78
L54
HME-009
LC - II
L12
L78
HME-010
HME-010
L86
HME-001
L12
L92
HME-004
L92
HME-001
L86
HME-001
LC-I
L54
L12
L54
LC-I
L12
HME-009
LC - II
L92
L54
L51
HME-010
L92
L06
L12
HME-010
HME-004
LC-I
HME-001
HME-004
HME-004
HME-001
L54
HME-010
HME-001
L92
L86
L78
HME-004
L86
LC - II
HME-009
LC-I
L92
L51
L06
L54
HME-009
HME-009
L06
L86
LC - II
L78
LC-I
LC - II
L86
L51
HME-004
HME-010
L12
L06
HME-004
L06
LC - II
L86
L78
L78
L92
LC-I
L78
L54
L06
L51
HME-004
HME-010
LC - II
LC-I
L86
LC - II
HME-009
L92
LC-I
HME-009
HME-001
L06
L51
L12
L54
10m
Site description and remarks:
N
o Date of planting: 8th April 2014
o The trial was established an old peanut garden with a slope of about 20 degrees.
o Soil Type: Loam
o Soil color: Black
o Because of the slope and fine loamy soil type the soil was free drainage, however, the farmer
was instructed to construct drainage to direct the flow of water run-off and soil erosion.
o Eleven (11) NARI cassava verities were used with two (2) local cassava varieties.
o Standard planting spacing of 1m x 1m (as mention above).
Pictures from Lulugu Cassava Evaluation trial site
Figure 1: Youths planting cassava at the
cassava evaluation trial at Lulugu
village.
Figure 2: The established cassava
evaluation trial at Lulugu village.
4
1m
Field plot layout for Trial two (2): Sareparo cassava variety on-farm evaluation trial site
1m
N
13m
L06
LC-I
L12
L78
HME-010
L86
HME-009
HME-001
L06
L51
L12
L51
HME-009
L12
HME-004
L51
L78
LC-I
HME-001
HME-010
L51
L06
L78
L92
LC - II
HME-009
HME-004
L54
HME-010
L06
L54
LC - II
HME-001
L51
L86
L78
L54
HME-009
LC - II
L12
L78
HME-010
HME-010
L86
HME-001
L12
L92
HME-004
L92
HME-001
L86
HME-001
LC-I
L54
L12
L54
LC-I
L12
HME-009
LC - II
L92
L54
L51
HME-010
L92
L06
L12
HME-010
HME-004
LC-I
HME-001
HME-004
HME-004
HME-001
L54
HME-010
HME-001
L92
L86
L78
HME-004
L86
LC - II
HME-009
LC-I
L92
L51
L06
L54
HME-009
HME-009
L06
L86
LC - II
L78
LC-I
LC - II
L86
L51
HME-004
HME-010
L12
L06
HME-004
L06
LC - II
L86
L78
L78
L92
LC-I
L78
L54
L06
L51
HME-004
HME-010
LC - II
LC-I
L86
LC - II
HME-009
L92
LC-I
HME-009
HME-001
L06
L51
L12
L54
10m
Site description and remarks:
o Date of planting: 8th April 2014
o The trial was established a sweet potato garden with a slope of about 10 degrees.
o Drainage was recommended.
o Soil Type: Loamy top soil, clay.
o Soil colour: Red soil
o Eleven (11) NARI cassava verities were used with two (2) local cassava varieties.
o Standard planting spacing of 1m x 1m (as mention above).
Pictures from Sareparo Cassava Evaluation trial site
Figure 3: Youths planting cassava at the
cassava evaluation trial at Sareparo
village.
Figure 4: The established cassava
evaluation trial at Sareparo village.
5
1m
Field plot layout for Trial three (3): Son Stone cassava variety on-farm evaluation trial site
1m
13m
L06
LC-I
L12
L78
HME-010
L86
HME-009
HME-001
L06
L12
L51
HME-009
L12
HME-004
L51
L78
LC-I
HME-001
L51
L06
L78
L92
LC - II
HME-009
HME-004
L54
HME-010
L54
LC - II
HME-001
L51
L86
L78
L54
HME-009
LC - II
L78
HME-010
HME-010
L86
HME-001
L12
L92
HME-004
L92
L86
HME-001
LC-I
L54
L12
L54
LC-I
L12
HME-009
L92
L54
L51
HME-010
L92
L06
L12
HME-010
HME-004
HME-001
HME-004
HME-004
HME-001
L54
HME-010
HME-001
L92
L86
HME-004
L86
LC - II
HME-009
LC-I
L92
L51
L06
L54
HME-009
L06
L86
LC - II
L78
LC-I
LC - II
L86
L51
HME-010
L12
L06
HME-004
L06
LC - II
L86
L78
L78
LC-I
L78
L54
L06
L51
HME-004
HME-010
LC - II
LC-I
LC - II
HME-009
L92
LC-I
HME-009
HME-001
L06
L51
L12
10m
Site description and remarks:
o Date of planting: 9th April 2014
o The trial was established a sweet potato garden with a slope of about 5 degrees.
o Soil Type: Loam.
o Soil colour: Black
o Eleven (11) NARI cassava verities were used with two (2) local cassava varieties.
o Standard planting spacing of 1m x 1m (as mention above).
o The trial is being site up in a recently harvested sweet potato garden. The site is surrounded
by sweet potato gardens and drains were already constructed. Due to the limitation of space
only 9 rows of the trial was planted.
o Eleven (11) NARI cassava verities were used with two (2) local cassava varieties.
o Standard planting spacing of 1m x 1m (as mention above).
6
1m
N
Pictures from Son Stone Cassava Evaluation trial site
Figure 5: The proposed site for the
cassava evaluation trial at Son Stone
village.
Figure 6: Youths clearing the old sweet
potato garden to prepare the site for
the cassava evaluation trial.
Figure 7: The established cassava
evaluation trial at Son Stone village.
7