IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ibn/jasjnl/v7y2015i6p36.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Tuber Quality as Measured by Starch and Cyanide (HCN) Affected by Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilizer Rates

Author

Listed:
  • I. B. Cuvaca
  • N. Eash
  • S. Zivanovic
  • D. M. Lambert
  • F. Walker
  • B. Rustrick

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important subsistence crop for many poor rural families in Africa. Cassava contains cyanogenic glucosides (linamarin and lotaustralin) which liberate hydrogen cyanide (HCN) during tuber processing. Once liberated, HCN attaches to the processed tuber. Continuous consumption of processed tuber containing high HCN concentration coupled with low protein intake causes Konzo – a paralyzing disorder that impacts children and women of childbearing age. There are ways to reduce HCN concentration during tuber processing; however, this can also reduce the overall starch content in the cassava tuber. A study comprising twenty treatments consisting of different combinations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizer rates was initiated in 2013 in the coastal Dondo District of Mozambique to assess cassava tuber quality as measured by starch and HCN. Significant differences were observed in starch content (CSC) of unprocessed tubers due to combined addition of N, P and K fertilizer rates, sample size, and estimation procedure. However, no significant differences were observed in HCN concentration in tubers due to the addition of N, P and K fertilizer. The HCN concentration in cassava tuber appears to be a function of the physiology of the crop or possibly cassava variety rather than the environment or conditions under which the crop is grown.

Suggested Citation

  • I. B. Cuvaca & N. Eash & S. Zivanovic & D. M. Lambert & F. Walker & B. Rustrick, 2015. "Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Tuber Quality as Measured by Starch and Cyanide (HCN) Affected by Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilizer Rates," Journal of Agricultural Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 7(6), pages 1-36, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:ibn:jasjnl:v:7:y:2015:i:6:p:36
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jas/article/download/46254/26154
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jas/article/view/46254
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ibn:jasjnl:v:7:y:2015:i:6:p:36. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Canadian Center of Science and Education (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cepflch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.