Yams are a major staple food crop and an important source of income for small-scale farmers in W. Africa.  Production is acutely vulnerable to a range of serious pests and disease problems.  Although conventional plant breeding programmes can deliver solutions to the problems, the pace of progress is hindered by two characteristics of yam species - erratic flowering and tuber dormancy.  The aim of this project is to understand better the factors controlling flowering and tuber dormancy, and to develop protocols to ensure timely flowering and tuber germination.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria

Field experiments in Nigeria to study the effect of tuber provenance, growing and storage environment on flowering and dormancy.  Controlled environment experiments in UK to study tuber dormancy and germination

ILE, E.I., CRAUFURD, P.Q., BATTEY, N.H. and ASIEDU, R. Rate of change in photoperiod and the intensity and timing of flowering in white yam  (Dioscorea rotundata Poir).Abstracts/comparative biochemistry and Physiology Part A134 (2003) S161.

E-mail: pel@reading.ac.uk