yam Archives - Page 4 of 4

Picture of Participants learn key aspects of phenotyping for yam diseases.

AfricaYam project strengthens yam breeding capacity

The AfricaYam project is hosting two weeks of training, 20 June to 1 July, at IITA, Ibadan, to effectively equip yam research personnel on techniques for phenotyping yam for disease and developing pest resistant varieties. Yam has been plagued by anthracnose, nematodes, and viruses, with a high number of these integrated in its DNA. The…

Group photo of the participants of the AfricaYam annual review and planning meeting.

AfricaYam partners, Technical Advisory Committee meet in Cotonou

The AfricaYam annual review and planning meeting took place at IITA Cotonou, Benin, on 14-18 March with participants from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Japan, USA, and UK. They gathered to review the progress made in the previous year and to chart a new course for achieving the project’s goals. Manuele Tamo, Entomologist and IITA…

Picture of yam farmers selling bad quality yam roots

YIIFSWA facilitates a second farmer exchange visit to Illushi seed yam market

The foremost constraint of yam farmers is the unavailability and affordability of quality seed tubers. To promote seed yam production and commercialization in Ghana and Nigeria, the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project facilitated its second farmer exchange visit to illushi seed yam market in Edo state on 14…

Picture of One ware yam tuber from plant issue of one node vine cutting weighing 3.2 kg with the shape of a human foot.

Special feature: Seed yam using one node vine cuttings generated from plants in aeroponics system

IITA initiated the aeroponics system (AS) in February 2013 as one of the high ratio propagation technologies for seed yam tuber production. After nearly three years of experimentation, it was discovered that the AS can generate three types of planting materials for seed yam propagation. These are the mini yam tubers harvested in AS boxes,…

Picture of YIIFSWA Technical Advisory Committee

YIIFSWA Technical Advisory Committee holds meeting

The YIIFSWA Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) also met on 19 February after the review and planning workshop, to discuss the progress made and advise YIIFSWA project team on project directions. Present at the meeting were Alexandre Dansi, Hiroko Takagi-Watanabe, Janice Olawoye, Tony Sikpa, Cephas Dormediameo, Lydia Susu, Regina Sagoe, Tola Adepomola, A.O. Salako, Lauren Good,…

Picture of Yam tuber produced from a one-node vine from the Aeroponics

YIIFSWA holds annual progress review and work planning

The Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project held its 5th annual progress review and planning meeting, 15-18 February at the Conference Center, IITA-Ibadan, Nigeria. The 4-day meeting highlighted the progress review of the project’s two main components (1) Governance, Leadership and Partnership; and (2) Seed Systems. Each implementing partner…

CRI-Ghana scientists visit YIIFSWA yam aeroponics facility at NRCRI Umudike

Scientists from the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana, visited the newly established Aeroponics Facility at the National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike last December to view some of the progress being made by their Nigerian counterparts on pre-basic and basic seed production. The scientists, Emmanuel Otoo, Deputy Director, CRI; Braima Haruna, YIIFSWA Country Manager,…

The First World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops held in Nanning, China,

Global congress unveils huge scientific evidence on root and tuber crops

The World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops (WCRTC), held in Nanning, China, on 18-23 January, provided a wealth of scientific information on roots and tubers—more than has been imagined. More than 540 abstracts were presented, cutting across breeding, value chain, and genomics. Being the first of its kind, the WCRTC brought together more than…

Norbert Maroya (left) explaining project field trials to new TAC members as well as IITA YIIFSWA project team.

YIIFSWA has two new Technical Advisory Committee members in Nigeria

The Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project welcomed two new members: Prof E.A. Salako from the University of Abuja and Chief Tola Adepomola, Chair of the Root and Tuber Crops Subcommittee of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, who was represented by Rev. J.O. Adeleye to its Technical Advisory…