Assessing Diversity in Yams (Dioscorea spp.) from Ethiopia based on Morphology, AFLP Markers and Tuber Quality, and Farmers' Management of Landraces (English shop)

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Ethiopia is a centre of origin for a number of crop plants. Consequently, numerous studies on the importance of genetic resources have been carried out in this country in the past. For some of the major food crops in Ethiopia, however, the extent of the existing genetic diversity remains largely unknown. Although yam (Dioscorea spp.) is one of the most important tuber crops in the densely populated regions of southern, south-western and western Ethiopia and plays a major role in local diets, this crop has so far been neglected in research and little is known about its diversity and cultivation practices. As a result, many questions concerning the better use and conservation of its genetic resources have not yet been investigated.

The aim of this study is to characterise the diversity of yam in its main growing area in southern Ethiopia. Of particular importance is the question of how farmers in subsistence agriculture maintain this diversity. The study seeks to generate greater research interest in yam.