Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) is a technique developed to multiply yams that involves growing virus-free tissue culture plantlets in transparent boxes with a substrate. Single node cuttings from the plantlets are introduced into SAH boxes where they grow new sprouts. The cuttings are then transplanted to a growth room, subculture boxes, and later to fields where seed tubers are harvested after 5 months. SAH has been successfully adapted at IITA for yam multiplication and allows for high ratios of new plant production to be used for seed tuber production and distribution to farmers.

1. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics: A
robust high-ratio propagation
technique for yam multiplication
David De Koeyer, Olugboyega Pelemo,
Goodluck Benjamin, & Alex Edemodu.
YIIFSWA Annual Meeting
March 4, 2018

2. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Semi-Autotrophic HydroponicsTM (SAH)
• Developed by SAHTECNO (Susana Rigato) in
Argentina for potato to multiply and harden
true-to-type virus free plants;
• Licensed technology with one-time fee per
lab;
• Adapted successfully for cassava in IITA.

3. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Yam SAH pipeline
• Virus free tissue culture plantlets;

4. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Yam SAH pipeline 2
• Transparent plastic containers with substrate

5. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Yam SAH pipeline 3
• Cuttings of TC plants introduced into SAH
boxes

6. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Cut site
Single node cutting
transferred to new box
Original SNC
leaf
New sprout emerges
after cutting
Growing
vine
Yam single node cuttings

7. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Yam SAH pipeline 4
• Growth room -> subculture -> field

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Yam SAH pipeline 5
• Transplant to field to produce seed tubers

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Yam SAH pipeline 6
• Field production

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Yam SAH pipeline 6
• Seed tubers harvested after 5 months ->stored

11. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
SAH laboratory

12. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
New infrastructure / equipment

13. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Production of SNC per SAH box
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Meccakusa
Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4 Series5 Series6 Series7 Series8

14. www.iita.orgA member of the CGIAR System Office
Thank you
For more information contact:
d.dekoeyer@cgiar.org