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Diversity, distribution and management of yam landraces (Dioscorea spp.) in Southern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is widely grown in many parts of Ethiopia and plays a vital role in local subsistence. Nevertheless, its diversity has not been studied in detail. A survey covering 339 farm households and eight districts was conducted in the major yam growing regions of Southern Ethiopia to investigate the diversity and distribution of yam landraces using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 37 named landraces were recorded, with a range from one to six (mean 2.9) on individual farms. Farmers’ decisions regarding the number and type of landraces maintained was influenced by tolerance of the landraces to drought, their maturity time and market demand. Most landraces had limited abundance and distribution, and only a few dominant landraces were widely grown. There was also variation amongst districts with respect to diversity, distribution and abundance of the landraces found. In the majority of the localities surveyed, farmers reported a decreasing trend in the number of landraces maintained on individual farms and in the overall yam production. Besides, in those limited areas where yam production is expanding, farmers are increasingly relying on a few selected landraces that mature early. Findings of this study suggest that local farmers in Wolayita and Gamo-Gofa zones maintain considerable yam diversity that remains to be further explored for sustainable utilization and conservation of the available genetic resources.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all farmers who participated in the study for their time, invaluable knowledge and hospitality. We also thank members of the regional, zonal and district agricultural offices and, particularly the development agents who gave us all the help we needed during site selection and throughout the study. The assistance provided by the DU-Norad (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) project of Debub University (Ethiopia) during the fieldwork is highly acknowledged. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) sponsored this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Crop Sciences: Agronomy in the Tropics, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Grisebachstr. 6, Goettingen, 37077, Germany

    Muluneh Tamiru & Brigitte L. Maass

  2. Department of Crop Sciences: Plant Breeding, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Von-Siebold-Str. 8, 37075, Goettingen, Germany

    Heiko C. Becker

  3. Hawassa University, P.O. Box 05, Awassa, Ethiopia

    Muluneh Tamiru

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  1. Muluneh Tamiru
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  2. Heiko C. Becker
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  3. Brigitte L. Maass
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Correspondence to Brigitte L. Maass.

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Tamiru, M., Becker, H.C. & Maass, B.L. Diversity, distribution and management of yam landraces (Dioscorea spp.) in Southern Ethiopia. Genet Resour Crop Evol 55, 115–131 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-007-9219-4

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