Distribution, Diversity and Potential Production of Yams (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Dioscorea&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; spp.) in Sheko District, Southwest Ethiopia

Belachew Garedew

doi:10.11648/j.ajls.20170503.12

Abstract

Yams are the Dioscoreaceae vine plants grown as staple food in tropical and sub-tropical regions that produce underground tubers or aerial bulbs. This researchwas developed with objective of assessing the distribution, diversity and potential production of yams (Dioscorea spp.) in sheko district, Bench Maji Zone, Ethiopia. A total of 147 informants were selected from six Kebeles using purposive and random sampling method. Reliable data were collected from households using semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and field observations which were analyzed by using Microsoft excel and descriptive statistics. A total of 3 different types of yam species (Dioscorea abyssinica, Dioscorea alata and Dioscorea bulbifera) were recorded from Sheko district. Yams were identified as a main staple food for the Sheko people. Four well adopted varieties selected by indigenous farmers of Sheko district were identified; among white yam is most preferred one due to its taste and high yield performance. The findings of the study revealed that most of the farmers (96.8%) highly practicing intercropping whereas few farmers (3.2%) practice monoculture mode of cultivation. Farmers’ indigenous experience on production of yam crops in almost all representative kebeles of the District was observed to be tremendous. Therefore, indigenous knowledge of farmers must be valued and supported by research to analyze the productive variety and further improved production and post harvest technology should be introduced.

Highlights

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are the Dioscoreaceae vine plants grown and staple food in tropical and sub-tropical regions that produce underground or aerial tubers [9]
Yams are monocot seems to have an African origin [1].The genus Dioscoreais the largest of the ten genera of Dioscoreaceae and it contains about 600 varieties species and 95 percent of these crops are grown in Africa [12]
The main production of yam is in the savannah region of West Africa, where more than 90% of the crop is grown

Summary

Introduction

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are the Dioscoreaceae vine plants grown and staple food in tropical and sub-tropical regions that produce underground or aerial tubers [9]. Yams are monocot seems to have an African origin [1].The genus Dioscoreais the largest of the ten genera of Dioscoreaceae and it contains about 600 varieties species and 95 percent of these crops are grown in Africa [12]. The main production of yam is in the savannah region of West Africa, where more than 90% of the crop is grown. Unlike the other root and tuber crops the white and yellow yam (Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea cayenensis [esculenta], respectively) are thought to be indigenous to West Africa, whereas the water yam (Dioscorea alata) is thought to have originated in Southeast Asia [20, 14, 13].Yam is a deeply rooted, climbing, dioecious perennial vine with distinctly veined cordate (heart-shaped) leaves. It is a tropical plant that adapted to 70–80°F and requires high

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Conclusion