Yam Production Constraints, Farming Systems and Farmer Preferred Traits in Ethiopia: Implication for Breeding and Conservation

Abstract

Yam production in Southwest Ethiopia is threatened by a socioeconomic, a biotic and biotic factors. The objective of this study was to document the  major yam production constraints, farming systems, the number of farmers identified landraces and trait preferences from major growing areas of  Southwest Ethiopia. A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in seven yam producing districts of the region. Data were collected from  240 yam growers using a semi-structured questionnaire, focus group, key informant discussions and field observations. Yam production restraints  were mainly associated with socioeconomic factors such as low attention given to the crop and dilution of the crop by improved crop technologies,  which reported by 14.71 and 11.15% of respondents, respectively. Drought and wild animal attacks were the major cause of yield reduction, as  reported by 14.4 and 13.93% of the respondents, respectively. A total of 38 farmers’ named yam landraces was identified for their traits preferences.  The major yam traits preferred by farmers were: high yield (35.42%), good market (11.05%), early maturity (8.86%), powdery after boil (10.48%) and  disease resistance (3.53%). Medicinal use reported by 5.58% of respondents and white and mixture with red flesh color (5.91%) was the main farmer  and market preferred traits. Yam variety development programs should therefore discourse the above constraints and farmerpreferred traits for  sustainable yam production in Southwest Ethiopia.