Researchers at the International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA) have come up with
soilless yam propagation as they have
successfully grown seed yams in the air using
aeroponics technology.
The fete is raising hopes and more options for
the propagation of virus- and disease-free
planting materials.
In preliminary trials, Dr Norbert Maroya, Project
Manager for the Yam Improvement for Incomes
and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA)
project at IITA, together with a team of scientists
successfully propagated yam by directly planting
vine cuttings in Aeroponics System (AS) boxes to
produce mini-tubers in the air.
Aeroponics System is the process of growing
plants in an air or mist environment without the
use of soil or an aggregate medium. The
technology is widely used by commercial potato
seed producers in eastern Africa – like Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania and Southern Africa like
Mozambique, Malawi - but successfully growing
yam on aeroponics is a novelty for rapidly
multiplying the much needed clean seed yam
tubers in large quantities.
“With this approach we are optimistic that
farmers will begin to have clean seed yams for
better harvest,” Dr Maroya said
Preliminary results showed that vine rooting in
Aeroponics System had at least 95% success rate
compared to vine rooting in carbonized rice husk
with a maximum rate of 70%. Rooting time was
much shorter in aeroponics.
Aeroponics is coming at an opportune time for
African farmers. Traditionally, seed yam
production is expensive and inefficient. Farmers
save about 25 to 30% 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 nongovernmental 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 soilborne or vector-transmitted
pests and diseases during the vegetative phase).
Dr Robert Asiedu, IITA Director for Western Africa
described the results as “impressive.” “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,” he added.
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.

science shaaaaaaa

This thread get future

Good for Nigeria...

Whenever I read about all these advances in Science, I always remember what Daniel said that " in the latter days, knowledge shall increase ". But will this yam be good for pounded yam?

I opened this thread to see yam tubers dangling in d air, so disappoited.

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