Breeding for Abiotic Stress Resistance in Yam (Dioscorea Spp.) Using Biotechnology Approaches: Present Practices and Prospects

Agre, Paterne A.; Mondo, Jean M.; Edemodu, Alex; Matsumoto, Ryo; Asiedu, Robert; Akoroda, M. O.; Bhattacharjee, Ranjana; Gedil, Melaku; Adebola, Patrick; Asfaw, Asrat

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-05706-9_11

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Yam breeding programs usually focus on developing and deploying superior varieties, which combine traits preferred for production and consumption ( Darkwa et al., 2020a ). Breeding efforts for the past five decades have resulted in breeding for superior yam varieties with high tuber yield, tolerant to pests and diseases with high tuber quality attribute which has translated into the release of several improved varieties ( Darkwa et al., 2020a ; Agre et al., 2022 ). However, genetic improvement of traits such as dry matter content and tuber browning is still a challenge in yam breeding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability and genetic merits of white Guinea yam landraces in Nigeria

Agre

Edemodu²,

Obidiegwu³

et al. 2023

Front. Plant Sci.

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IntroductionLandraces represent a significant gene pool of African cultivated white Guinea yam diversity. They could, therefore, serve as a potential donor of important traits such as resilience to stresses as well as food quality attributes that may be useful in modern yam breeding. This study assessed the pattern of genetic variability, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), alleles, and genetic merits of landraces, which could be exploited in breeding for more sustainable yam production in Africa.MethodsA total of 86 white Guinea yam landraces representing the popular landraces in Nigeria alongside 16 elite clones were used for this study. The yam landraces were genotyped using 4,819 DArTseq SNP markers and profiled using key productivity and food quality traits.Results and discussionGenetic population structure through admixture and hierarchical clustering methods revealed the presence of three major genetic groups. Genome-wide association scan identified thirteen SNP markers associated with five key traits, suggesting that landraces constitute a source of valuable genes for productivity and food quality traits. Further dissection of their genetic merits in yam breeding using the Genomic Prediction of Cross Performance (GPCP) allowed identifying several landraces with high crossing merit for multiple traits. Thirteen landraces were identified as potential genitors to develop segregating progenies to improve multiple traits simultaneously for desired gains in yam breeding. Results of this study provide valuable insights into the patterns and the merits of local genetic diversity which can be utilized for identifying desirable genes and alleles of interest in yam breeding for Africa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability and genetic merits of white Guinea yam landraces in Nigeria

Agre

Edemodu²,

Obidiegwu³

et al. 2023

Front. Plant Sci.

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“…is a key staple crop in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. It produces starchy underground tubers or aerial bulbils, providing valuable sources of dietary carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and essential minerals (Agre et al, 2022a). Alongside other root and tuber crops, yam has been a major food security pillar in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) owing to its resilience to climate hazards and pests when compared to cereals and legumes (Thiele et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, yam has been gradually substituted for cassava, sweet potato, and maize due to a lack of genetic improvement to meet farmers' and consumers' preferred criteria (Adejumobi et al, 2022b). Based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics for 2010-2020, yam yield in DRC has remained stagnant at ~4.3 t ha −1 , a tenth of the crop potential in Africa (Agre et al, 2022a). On the other hand, an increase in production (20.3%) was recently observed and this is tightly associated with the expansion of cultivated lands (21.9%) rather than the yield increase per unit area (FAO, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farming practices, varietal preferences, and land suitability analyses for yam production in Eastern D.R. Congo: implications for breeding initiatives and food sovereignty

Mondo,

Chuma,

Matiti

et al. 2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a key tuber crop in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with huge potential for poverty alleviation, food sovereignty, and nutrition security. Exploiting its full potential requires that factors holding it down are understood and mitigated. This study, conducted between May and July 2022 and 2023, assessed yam farming practices, varietal preferences, and land suitability in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We interviewed 765 smallholder farmers within four agro-ecological zones (AEZ) to assess the sociocultural, agronomic, varietal, and biophysical factors affecting yam production. Land suitability analyses were conducted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify areas suitable to extensive yam production and to cluster environments that could optimize yam varietal selection and testing. Results showed that yam is mainly cultivated by women in eastern DRC (70%). The seed delivery system is informal, relying primarily on farmer-saved seeds and farmer-seed exchanges (74.9%). Soil depletion (68.3%), limited access to high-quality seeds (54.5%), youth disengagement in yam value chain (50.3%), insect pests (17.9%), and short tuber shelf-life (65.8%) were, respectively, the main ecological, agronomic, sociocultural, biological, and tuber quality factors hindering yam production in eastern DRC. However, the perceived importance of most factors significantly varied with farmer gender and age categories. A multitude of varietal traits was used to assess yam varieties in eastern DRC, of which the tuber taste (59%) was the most valued trait regardless of gender and age categories, though it had highest scores among middle-aged adult women. Land suitability analyses discriminated five clusters; the most significant part of the region falling under suitable (27%), highly suitable (24%), and very highly suitable classes (37%). We further discussed how breeding initiatives for delivering yam varieties, suiting local producers’ and end-users’ needs, could unlock the crop’s potential for enhancing food security and wealth creation in eastern DRC. The land suitability map from this study is a valuable decision-making tool in defining priority areas for extensive yam production and varietal selection and testing. This study provided valuable insights on factors affecting yam production and suggested yam breeding as a backbone of a holistic approach seeking to address challenges faced in unlocking the potential for yam production in eastern DRC.

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“…Diby et al [35] reported a significant yield decrease in D. alata under water stress conditions. Moisture stress can directly impact dry matter accumulation due to low photosynthetic rate and metabolism, indirectly impacting tuber initiation and development [36, 37]. There is a consensus on developing drought and heat-tolerant greater yam cultivars for stable and improved tuber yield performance [36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Climate change, unpredicted rainfalls, and increasing temperatures constantly threaten yam production [38, 39]. Moreover, the lack of studies concerning abiotic stress tolerance in yam requires attention to cope with the emerging challenges associated with climate change and food security [37].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identification and analysis of genomic regions influencing leaf morpho-physiological traits related to stress responses inDioscorea alata

Dossa,

Houngbo,

Irep

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background: Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are significant food security crops especially in West Africa. With the increasing tuber demand and climate change challenges, it is pertinent to strengthen breeding programs for developing high-yielding cultivars with climate resilience. The current study aimed at deciphering the genetic basis of leaf traits related to stress responses in a diverse panel of Dioscorea alata genotypes. Results: Phenotypic characterization of 12 traits, including leaf dry matter content, leaf area, net photosynthesis, transpiration rate, transpiration use efficiency, stomatal density, stomatal index, node number, leaf thickness, competitor, stress-tolerator, ruderal (CSR) ecological strategy spectrum emphasized significant variations among the genotypes and across two planting locations. Weak correlations were observed among most of traits, suggesting that breeding simultaneously for some of these stress response-related traits would be possible. Heritability was highest for transpiration rate, leaf area and stomatal density, while it was lowest for stress-tolerator, ruderal ecological strategies. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) using high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) identified 24 significant associations on 11 chromosomes, where the association signals were consistent across two locations for traits with high heritability, viz., stomatal density (Chr18) and transpiration rate (Chr3). Further characterization of the significant signals and their related alleles identified advantageous alleles contributing positively to the studied traits. Moreover, 44 putative candidate genes were identified. Dioal.18G049300 (3 keto acyl-coenzyme A synthase) was identified as a strong candidate gene for stomatal density, while Dioal.12G033600 (Phosphatidyl inositol monophosphate 5 kinase 4) was identified for net photosynthesis. Conclusion: Taken together, GWAS and allele segregation analysis for key SNPs provided significant insights into the marker-trait associations, which can be further utilized in breeding programs to improve climate resilience in greater yam.

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Breeding for Abiotic Stress Resistance in Yam (Dioscorea Spp.) Using Biotechnology Approaches: Present Practices and Prospects

Cited by 4 publications

References 103 publications

Variability and genetic merits of white Guinea yam landraces in Nigeria

Variability and genetic merits of white Guinea yam landraces in Nigeria

Farming practices, varietal preferences, and land suitability analyses for yam production in Eastern D.R. Congo: implications for breeding initiatives and food sovereignty

Identification and analysis of genomic regions influencing leaf morpho-physiological traits related to stress responses inDioscorea alata

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