A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

EFFORTS to improve the yam, D. rotundata, through hybridisation have been frustrated by the low rate of flowering, the very low rate of fruit setting and poor seed germination1–3. These constraints have confined the availability of genetic resources for selection to the small number of cultivars whi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sadik, S., Okerere, O.U.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 1975
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/96544
_version_ 1855516311516348416
author Sadik, S.
Okerere, O.U.
author_browse Okerere, O.U.
Sadik, S.
author_facet Sadik, S.
Okerere, O.U.
author_sort Sadik, S.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description EFFORTS to improve the yam, D. rotundata, through hybridisation have been frustrated by the low rate of flowering, the very low rate of fruit setting and poor seed germination1–3. These constraints have confined the availability of genetic resources for selection to the small number of cultivars which have been vegetatively reproduced from time immemorial. This continued vegetative propagation and the lack of hybridisation have precluded the possibility of introduction of new genetic characteristics, resulting in a stagnation of yam improvement. To facilitate yam hybridisation, we have re-examined the problems of flowering and seed germination. We first reported4 yam seed germination in November 1973, and Doku stated that he had germinated yam seeds of D. rotundata (unpublished). Here we report the feasibility of germinating yam seeds, the rapid improvement of flowering, and the opportunity this development affords for expanding present germ plasm collections, thus facilitating yam improvement.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace96544
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 1975
publishDateRange 1975
publishDateSort 1975
publisher Springer
publisherStr Springer
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace965442023-12-08T19:36:04Z A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata) Sadik, S. Okerere, O.U. yams fruits germination dioscorea rotundata EFFORTS to improve the yam, D. rotundata, through hybridisation have been frustrated by the low rate of flowering, the very low rate of fruit setting and poor seed germination1–3. These constraints have confined the availability of genetic resources for selection to the small number of cultivars which have been vegetatively reproduced from time immemorial. This continued vegetative propagation and the lack of hybridisation have precluded the possibility of introduction of new genetic characteristics, resulting in a stagnation of yam improvement. To facilitate yam hybridisation, we have re-examined the problems of flowering and seed germination. We first reported4 yam seed germination in November 1973, and Doku stated that he had germinated yam seeds of D. rotundata (unpublished). Here we report the feasibility of germinating yam seeds, the rapid improvement of flowering, and the opportunity this development affords for expanding present germ plasm collections, thus facilitating yam improvement. 1975-03 2018-08-14T16:36:57Z 2018-08-14T16:36:57Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/96544 en Open Access Springer Sadik, S. & Okereke, O.U. (1975). A new approach to improvement of yam Dioscorea rotundata. Nature, 254(5496), 134-135.
spellingShingle yams
fruits
germination
dioscorea rotundata
Sadik, S.
Okerere, O.U.
A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
title A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
title_full A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
title_fullStr A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
title_full_unstemmed A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
title_short A new approach to improvement of yam (Dioscorea rotundata)
title_sort new approach to improvement of yam dioscorea rotundata
topic yams
fruits
germination
dioscorea rotundata
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/96544
work_keys_str_mv AT sadiks anewapproachtoimprovementofyamdioscorearotundata
AT okerereou anewapproachtoimprovementofyamdioscorearotundata
AT sadiks newapproachtoimprovementofyamdioscorearotundata
AT okerereou newapproachtoimprovementofyamdioscorearotundata