Sett production and germplasm maintenance through vine cuttings in yams

Abstract

Five-year studies on four- to six-node leafy vine cuttings of Dioscorea rotundata and D. alata were conducted at Ibadan, Nigeria. The established plantlets from these cuttings in bags and in the field were observed for their ability to produce large setts for farmers and researchers and as a means of maintaining germplasm collections in a live form. Based on a D. alata clone (TDa 291) an estimated field production of 5400 setts of at least 250 g, or 13 248 setts of at least 200 g, can be expected per hectare at 0.5 x 0.5 m spacing. The advantages of using plantlets from vine cuttings for conserving yam genotypes are discussed.