Farmers’ perspective toward a demand led yam breeding in Nigeria

Abstract

This study seeks to increase the efficiency of yam breeding practice using farmers’ insight at the trait and socioeconomic levels. A three-staged multisampling procedure was employed and 792 yam farmers from four geopolitical zones, comprising 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in Nigeria were randomly selected. Farmer’s preference criteria and factors pertinent to improving the efficiency of yam breeding in Nigeria were documented. The data obtained were analyzed using a 5-point Likert scale to identify major traits farmers consider in the yam cultivar selection decision. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was used to measure the degree of agreement of ranking among the farmers. Factors influencing farmers’ trait preference for yam cultivars were evaluated using a multinomial-ordered logistic regression model. The result revealed that yam varieties with high germination rates, disease-free quality, big tuber sizes, early maturity, and good pounding attributes are held in high esteem. The most critical constraint limiting the production of yam in the study area includes pest and disease attack, climate change, high cost of seed yam, high cost of staking, and weed infestation. Sex, age, access to credit, membership to yam association, total land owned, and years of experience as a yam farmer significantly influence farmers’ ability to select yam cultivars with preferred attributes. A strategic effort needs to be given to these farmers’ desired yam attributes and factored into developing improved yam varieties for increased adoption and enhanced food security in Nigeria.

Farming practices, varietal preferences, and land suitability analyses for yam production in Eastern D.R. Congo: implications for breeding initiatives and food sovereignty

“…It is noteworthy that yam farmers can only capture the benefit of the genetic gains from breeding programs when seed systems are well-functioning (Mausch et al, 2021;Stuart et al, 2021;Kalu et al, 2023). Stakeholders, especially seed multipliers, should be trained on how to rapidly multiply seeds.…”

“…Rural populations in the vicinity of those cities cultivate yam as a cash crop, allocating a large share of harvest to market participation. Plant breeding could be instrumental to releasing this crop's potential for food sovereignty and wealth creation by availing varieties that suit farmers and end-users needs and preferences (Mondo et al, 2020;Kalu et al, 2023). However, effective intervention strategies would imply that these farmers' and end-users' needs and preferences are assessed prior to any breeding and seed delivery initiatives, since no related contextual analysis exist in eastern DRC.…”

Genetic engineering and genome editing technologies as catalyst for Africa’s food security: the case of plant biotechnology in Nigeria

“…Currently, Nigeria is a food deficit nation, spending 10 billion USD annually on food importation to feed its ever-growing population. Although the country leads globally in the production of crops like cassava, yam, and taro, this is mostly due to the annual increase in land area under cultivation but not as a result of improved productivity, in terms of yield/ha ( Ikuemonisan et al, 2020 ; Fufa et al, 2023 ; Kalu et al, 2023 ). Even so, post-harvest yield loss (up to 60% in some crops) occurs at various stages of food system, thereby making food unaffordable and unavailable to many ( Morris et al, 2019 ; Ewa, 2021 ; Businessday NG, 2023 ).…”