Determination of climatic factors with the greatest impact on cassava production in Anambra state

Abstract

After rice and maize, cassava (Manihot esculenta) is the third-largest source of calories in Africa's tropical and subtropical regions. Most rural families in Nigeria regularly eat any variety of cassava. The consequences of climate change pose a threat to Nigeria's cassava production. The goal of the research was to demonstrate a direct correlation between Anambra State's cassava yield and climatic data. By employing analytical instruments such as Microsoft Excel 2019 and DSSAT Version 4.8, a comprehensive examination spanning forty years produced important findings. Temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, and sun radiation were all closely examined. Maximum temperatures ranged from 31.83°C to 35.4°C throughout the 1981–2021 research period, while minimum temperatures varied from 11.77°C to 17.21°C. Wind speeds ranged from 1.57 m/s to 1.87 m/s, rainfall varied from 885.94 mm to 3174.61 mm yearly, and solar radiation varied from 61.6 w/m2 to 133.3 w/m2. Significant variance was seen in the yield of cassava, which varied from 108.64 thousand metric tonnes in 1981 to 4065.66 thousand metric tonnes in 2021. This indicates the dynamic impact of climate conditions on agricultural output. Nonetheless, disparities seen between the cultivar coefficient values obtained from modelling tools and the real values underscored the necessity for more improvement in modelling methodologies to precisely represent the subtleties of cassava phenology and yield dynamics. Additionally, regression and correlation analyses were performed to break out the individual and combined effects of meteorological variables on cassava yield.