THE ADAPTED YAM MINISETT TECHNIQUE FOR PRODUCING CLEAN SEED YAMS (<i>DIOSCOREA ROTUNDATA</i>): AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND VARIETAL DIFFERENCES UNDER FARMER-MANAGED CONDITIONS IN NIGERIA

2016

Ex. Agric.

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SUMMARYThis paper describes the results of 3 year's data from farmers using the Adaptive Yam Minisett Technique (AYMT) to produce seed yams in Nigeria. A total of 30 sites were established each year between 2013 and 2015 in the Idah area (Kogi State) of Nigeria and 58 plots in the Amoke area (Benue State) in 2015. Each site had yam setts (80 to 100 g) untreated and treated with a pesticide ‘dip’ prior to planting and farmers (male and female) were free to select the variety and manage the sites as they wished. In line with previous research, the results suggest that treatment does increase the weight of tubers produced by a sett but not necessarily the number of tubers. Varietal differences were also observed. For the first time, the results suggest that the time of planting does have a significant impact on seed tuber weight, with later planting leading to small tubers. Also, the gender of the farmer had an impact on some of the agronomic variables, with male owners of the site generally producing more and larger tubers per sett planted and sprouted than female owners. Various mechanisms for the latter are discussed in the paper.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Factors Influencing the Agronomic Performance of the Adapted Yam Minisett Technique in Nigeria – Planting Date and Gender of the Farmer

2016

Ex. Agric.

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“…Hence, while the results presented here for the sett-to-seed yam demonstrations in 2014 are arguably incremental they do help to reinforce the main benefits of the pesticide dip treatment for setts in the AYMT. As concluded in Morse and McNamara (2015), the AYMT is clearly a technology that can 'work' under entirely farmer-managed conditions. The major novel insights from 2014 were provided by the seed-to-ware yam demonstrations, the first of their type established in Africa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…As in Morse and McNamara (2015), analysis of the data was primarily via analysis of variance (General Linear Model), with variety and treatment as the main effects. Figures 2 and 3 show the results of the sett-to-seed yam demonstrations established in 2014 for the Idah area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various techniques have been developed by both farmers and researchers to try and address this limitation of quality planting material, and many of them are based upon the cutting of healthy ware yam tubers (mother yams) of medium size (~1 kg) into minisetts of various sizes before treating with pesticides and planting. One of these is the AYMT developed via a series of UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded research projects in the early years of this century (Coyne et al, 2010; McNamara et al, 2012; Morse and McNamara, 2015; Morse et al, 2009). AYMT employs a sett size between 80 and 120 g, although farmers are encouraged to experiment with the best sett size under their local circumstances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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IMPACT OF THE ADAPTED YAM MINISETT TECHNIQUE ON WARE YAM (DIOSCOREA ROTUNDATA) PRODUCTION UNDER FARMER-MANAGED CONDITIONS IN NIGERIA

2016

Ex. Agric.

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White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) is a major root crop grown throughout West Africa and a major limitation on its production is the availability of good quality (i.e. free of pests and diseases) planting material; notably seed yams. AYMT is a process by which farmers can produce good quality seed yams using setts treated with a pesticide dip. While previously published studies have focussed on the agronomy of the sett-to-seed yam process there has been no work done on the seed-to-ware yam stage which is critical in terms of income and livelihood for yam farmers throughout West Africa. This paper addresses this significant gap in knowledge and provides the first published evidence obtained under entirely farmer-managed conditions in Africa that shows seed yams produced via the AYMT can generate significant agronomic benefits, including better germination, tuber numbers and tuber weights, for ware yam growers in Nigeria.

“…These are good yields, probably reflecting the rich soils of the Idah and Amoke areas and the specializations of the farmers in yam production. The mean tuber weight of 0.73 kg may seem to be on the high side for seed yam tubers, but as noted in previous papers this hides a key advantage of AYMT in that farmers like the mix of seed and ware yam tubers sizes that it produces (Morse et al, 2009;Morse and McNamara, 2015).…”

Section: <Tables 4 and 5 Near Here>mentioning

confidence: 86%

Agronomic and economic performance of seed yam production using minisetts in the middle belt of Nigeria

Journal of Crop Improvement

2017

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White yam (Dioscorea rotundata) is an important tuber crop of West Africa and the Caribbean, and one the key limiting factors in its production is the availability of good quality planting material. The Adaptive Yam Minisett Technique (AYMT) was designed to help overcome this constraint. The paper presents an analysis of agronomic and economic data collected across four years (2013 to 2016) of AYMT plots planted in two areas within the middle-belt of Nigeria. Of the 136 plots that were established, 11% were lost to flooding and damage from Fulani cattle. Mean yield was 13.16 t/ha, 17,747 tubers/ha and the mean tuber weight was 0.73 kg. Plot yield declined with an increase in planting time, while plots owned by female farmers were on average planted later than those owned by their male counterparts; this helps explain the effect of gender noted in a previous study. Differences in yield were also noted between the two areas, which could also partly be explained by differences in planting time. The plots were profitable, with a mean cost over the four years of Naira 915,196/ha, revenue of Naira 3,197,786/ha and gross margin of Naira 2,282,591/ha