Authors : JOSHUA FRIDAY AJA

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 11 - November

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3jb3ebn3

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/5n8yd57e

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14613831

Abstract : This project was conducted to collect accessions of farmers’ grown yams, phenotypically characterize and identify accessions with superior traits that can be used as composite parent in future yam breeding. A total of 856 yam accessions were collected, grouped at community level to give rise to 202 accessions and temporarily stored in the yam barn of EBSU/IITA African Yam project for two months before planting in 2019 and 2020. Data collected were grouped into quantitative and qualitative, subjected to multivariate analysis using mean, coefficient of variation, correlation and cluster analysis. Result of socio-economic data indicated 91.7% males and few female experienced farmers and through indigenous knowledge, name and classify accessions based on yield, maturity time and other phenotypic performance across the communities. Five out of 856 were identified with three species D.alata, D.rotundata, and D.cayenensis ranking highest in diversity. Cluster analysis based on qualitative traits showed five distinct groups with difference in size and presence of variability ranging from two to nine traits in cluster 1 amounting to 56.2%. Correlation result showed that all the quantitative traits measured except leaf width and maturity time correlated significantly to the yield component. Estimate of mean showed that the weightiest and widest tubers (6.8 kg/Plant and 13.9 cm) were recorded for D. alata and longest tubers for D.rotundata (21.7cm). The overall result showed that Ebonyi North recorded the highest yam diversity, followed by Ebonyi South mostly Ishiagu community that recorded yam accessions with enormous traits variation that can be selected for further research.

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