Nyankpala (N/R), Feb 02, GNA – A team of researchers from the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) has developed five new yam varieties to improve production.
They include SDr1403004, which is preferred mainly for its early maturity and superior food quality, SDr1403003, SDr1403005, and SDr1403074 combine high tuber yield with long shelf-life and good food quality especially after long storage, and SDr1403031 is high yielding, stores well and produces multiple medium-sized tubers that are ideal for the export market.
Dr Emmanuel Chamba, Yam Breeder at CSIR – SARI, and a member of the research team, announced this at a meeting with members of the National Varietal Release and Registration Committee (NVRRC) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture at Nyankpala in the Northern Region.
The meeting was to present the details of the new yam varieties to members of the NVRRC, the authority responsible for approving the official release of new crop varieties in the country, for approval.
Dr Chamba gave details of how the new varieties were developed saying “Using a selection index based on tuber yield, yam mosaic virus and yam anthracnose disease resistance, tuber dry matter content, and maturity period, 10 superior landraces were selected for multi-locational evaluation in 2016 and 2017.”
He said based on the performance of the genotypes in the two-year multi-locational evaluation, five landraces that combined high tuber yield with acceptable food quality were identified for on-farm trials in 2018 and 2019.
He said after two years of on-farm evaluation across five locations, five landraces were proposed for release based on their tuber yield, disease resistance, and consumer acceptability for pounded yam and sliced yam.
Dr Chamba said results of the economic analysis indicated high revenue or benefit for the new varieties, which meant that farmers could recoup their investment and still generate 4.9, 3.8, 3.8, 3.6, and 2.8 Ghana Cedis for every GHc 1 invested.
He said, “The release and dissemination of these varieties will help to improve the production and productivity of yam in Ghana and improve the livelihoods of farmers and other actors in the yam value chain.”
Meanwhile, members of the NVRRC, after assessing presentations from the research team on the new varieties, approved them and will recommend them to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, who is authorised under the law, to release them onto the market.
Dr Paulina Addy, Leader of the NVRRC, who represented the Chairman, Mr Seth Osei-Akoto during the meeting, urged the research team to furnish the NVRRC with documents highlighting the location-specific characteristics of the genotype, the climate-resilient qualities, the complete composition of the research team, data on the virus index and shelf life.
She also urged the research team to review the suggested names of the new varieties.