IITA launches soilless seed yams

thus raising hope and more options for the propagation of virus- and disease-free planting materials, for rapidly multiplying the much needed clean seed yam tubers in large quantities.Aeroponics System is the process of growing plants in the air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. Until now, the technology is […]

thus raising hope and more options for the propagation of virus- and disease-free planting materials, for rapidly multiplying the much needed clean seed yam tubers in large quantities.
Aeroponics System is the process of growing plants in the air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. Until now, the technology is a novelty in the growing of yams as it is only widely used by commercial potato seed producers in eastern Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania etc.), and southern Africa (Mozambique, Malawi etc.).
IITA scientists led by Dr. Norbert Maroya, Project Manager for the Yam Improvement for Incomes and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project, together with a team of scientists engaged in the research formally unveiled the outcome of their research breakthrough on successfully growing seed yams in the air using aeroponics technology. The team had successfully propagated yam by directly planting vine cuttings in Aeroponics System (AS) boxes to produce mini-tubers in the air.
 Dr Maroya said with this approach they are optimistic that farmers will begin to have clean seed yams for better harvest, adding that preliminary results had showed that vine rooting in Aeroponics System had at least 95 percent success rate compared to vine rooting in carbonized rice husk with a maximum rate of 70 percent.
Rooting time was much shorter in aeroponics and it is noteworthy that Aeroponics is coming at an opportune time for African farmers.
Traditionally, seed yam production is expensive and inefficient. Farmers save about 25 to 30 percent of their harvest for planting the same area in the following season, meaning less money in their pockets.
Moreover, these saved seeds are often infested with pathogens that significantly reduce farmers’ yield year after year.
However with an established Aeroponics System for seed yam propagation at the premises of an interested private investor, seed company or humanitarian non-governmental organization; yam producers can have access to clean seed yams.
The soilless yam propagation system will increase the productivity of seed and ware yam and effectively reduce diseases and pests’ incidence and severity (no soil borne or vector-transmitted pests and diseases during the vegetative phase).
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Robert Asiedu, IITA Director for Western Africa described the results as “impressive”, adding that, “Yam is an important crop in Africa and addressing the seeds’ constraint will go a long way in improving the livelihoods of farmers who depend on the crop for their livelihood.”
In conducting the aeroponics trial, a special structure was built in an existing screen house with Dixon shelf frames using perforated Styrofoam box, as support for plant vines, while the developing roots of the plants in the air were enclosed in conditions of total darkness to simulate the situation of soil to the roots. For the plant and tuber to develop, an automated power house system was established for atomizing periodically nutrient enriched water solution in the form of mist to feed the plants.
Some yam farmers that spoke to Daily Trust said they are not aware of the soilless yam because they have never used it and are yet to know anything about it. Musa Adamu is a yam farmer in Ijakoro, Niger State. He said while the problem of yam farmers is not whether it is planted on the air or on rock, “Government should concentrate on areas that will help us enhance agricultural production.”
Musa said yam and all other root crops are difficult to manage from forming the ridges, planting, processing and harvesting, adding, “Yam farm require a lot of insecticides and fertilizer. Government should think of better ways to assist us rather than inventing such unbelievable means of farming.”
Mrs Debora Kauja is a female yam farmer in Yangoji, Federal Capital Territory. She said there will be need for a lot of education before farmers could be able to understand and use soilless seed yam, adding, “It sounds very strange. But why can’t government address the problems of yam storage facility, poor market and poor support from government rather than soilless seed which I am yet to understand what it is.
“I want them to device a means of exporting our yams to other countries so that farmers can be able to make extra money. We require storage facility for yams so that we can control market supply to be able to store yams and release them in batches,” she said.