Planting Cassava

This is an image of cassava growing on a hillside in Vietnam. A cassava farmer is working on the cassava stem fencing that installed as a forage barrier between rows of cassava crop.

©2016CIAT/GeorginaSmith

Farmers in Vietnam are using conservation planting practices to help restore soil health and increase the amount of crops they can produce. Decades of intensive farming and planting the same crops year after year had depleted the nutrients from the soils and meant they couldn't grow enough food for the region. Farmers are experimenting with different planting techniques, such as planting alternating rows of cassava, cowpea, and foraging crop for livestock to eat. After five years this technique has increased the amount of cassava that can be grown by 15-20% and decreased soil erosion. Cassava is an important food source for the region. Finding new ways to keep the land healthy, even as environmental conditions are changing, helps to increase resilience. 

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