This document discusses IITA's yam germplasm collection and conservation efforts. It notes that IITA's yam collection contains over 3,800 accessions originating from West and Central African countries. The collection is conserved using both in vitro and on-farm methods. Characterization of the collection involves morphological and genetic analysis to understand diversity. The collection is available for research and breeding through IITA's genebank system with the goal of supporting increased yam production and food security in Africa.

1. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
IITA’s yam international collection to
support yam production
GUEYE Badara (PhD)
In vitro Propagation and Conservation Specialist for Tropical RTB Genetic Resources
Genetic Resources Centre (GRC) International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA),
Headquarters: PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan, Nigeria
Annual Progress Review and Work Planning Meeting
15- 18 February 2016, Herbert Albrecht Conference Center, IITA-Ibadan, Nigeria

2. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
IITA, YIIFSWA and all of us…
IITA Vision
Increase staple food yields by 60%
Increase average farm income by 50%
Lift 25% of poor households above the poverty line (over 40 million Africans)
Reduce the number of malnourished children by 30%
Restore 40% of farms to sustainable resource management (>25m hectares)
YIIFSWA have to and is playing a critical role…
Yam GR is a critical to crop improvement for climatic resilient
varieties and yield increase

3. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
IITA Genetic Resources Center
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) 15,379
Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr) 4,841
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) 3,499
Yam (Dioscorea spp.) 3,872
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) 1,752
Maize (Zea Mays L.) 1,565
Miscellaneous legumes 558
Wild Vigna (Vigna species L.) 1,543
Banana/plantain (Musa spp.) 546
African yam bean [Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst.)
Harms]
456
Over 33,000 Accessions of african major food crops
3
In
trust: Available for free (ITPGRFA)

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Number of accessions
• Benin 846
• Burkina Faso 11
• Congo 24
• Cote d‘Ivoire 259
• Equatorial Guinea 38
• Gabon 21
• Ghana 268
• Nigeria 1065
• Sierra Leone 33
• Togo 1307
3872
Yam collection at IITA GRC
Dioscorea Percentage
rotundata 69.8%
alata 24.6%
bulbifera 1.8% ( + in situ)
cayenensis 1.5%
dumetorum 1.4% (+in situ)
esculenta 0.5%
preussii 0.2% (+in situ)
manganotiana 0.24%
praehensilis 0.01%
togoensis In situ
conservation
hirtiflora In situ
conservation
praehensis In situ
conservationYam germplasm origin in IITA genebank

5. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
Mission:
Plant (tropical edible staple crops) Genetic Resources
conservation and use for food security and welfare”
IITA – Genetic resource center (GRC)
• Enrich the collection (increase the diversity)
• Conserve (including safety duplication)
• Add value to the collection (cleaning, characterization, research…)
• Document (availability and accessibility)
• Promote use (showcase the collection)

6. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
Yam germplasm acquisition
- Collecting missions
- Improved lines from breeders/researchers
- Safety duplication from NARs (RegenIntro project)
Diversity capture
Courtesy Prof. Dansi

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Type Crop origin Nb accessions
Collecting Yam Nigeria 1437
Collecting Wild yam Benin Rep. 298
Safety duplication Yam Philippines 277
Safety duplication Yam Costa Rica 43
Safety duplication Yam Ghana 96
Safety duplication Yam Benin Rep. 576
Safety duplication Yam Vietnam 7
Safety duplication Yam Côte d'Ivoire 96
Safety duplication Yam Togo 17
Total 2847
Yam germplasm acquisition

8. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
Conservation
In vitro
introduction
Characterization
Evaluation
Fingerprinting
Indexing
Sanitation
Slow growth
Safe duplication
(Black box)
Cotonou (Benin)
International
distribution
Research
In vitro plant tissue cultureIn vitro plant tissue cultureOn farm
conservation
On farm
conservation
Cryopreservation:
LTS and safety
duplication
micropropagationHardening
Slow growth conditions (MTS)
CC germplasm flow
Yam germplasm Conservation

9. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
Yam field bank Yam in vitro plantlets Yam in vitro genebank
In vitro conservation of international cc collections
Costed collection
(in vitro)
Clean (%)
Safety
duplicated
(Cotonou)
Breeders Lines
Cassava 2428 67 2227 1100
Yam 1440 45 1426 273
Musa spp. 318 63 68
Yam germplasm Conservation

10. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
Yam germplasm Conservation
Yam cryopreservation
Strategy, protocols and procedures
Infrastructures
Human resources
Routine and reliable workflow
Continuous management
QMS and risk management

11. A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org
Yam germplasm Conservation
A continuous work…
All yam in vitro processing updated
-Meristem sampling and regeneration, multiplication/conservation culture media
(hormone balance, sugar, active charcoal…)
-In vitro re-introduction from field

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Yam germplasm availability
Germplasm exchange, e.g. Distribution through in vitro system
Yam sanitation protocol setting
Meristem regeneration + Thermo/Cryo/Chemo-treatment
Ribavarin at 10 mg/L and thermotreatment with 36 °C promising

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Characterization of yam germplasm
Agro-morphological with breeders using 64 descriptors
- Core collection of around 700 accessions
Diversity set (JIRCAS and IITA)
Possibility for:
- Trait-based subset (GR, yam breeders and germplasm health)
- Better and easier access to targeted traits
- FIGS (together with breeders and GIS, patghology)

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Characterization of yam germplasm
Whole genome sequencing and genotyping using NGS (CRP RTB)
Genomics (Diversity study, identity validation, MaS…)
Phenotyping using metabolomics (GR, yam breeders and RHUL within
CRP RTB)
Assessment of eventual effect of in vitro plant tissue culture
(somaclonal variation)

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Characterization of yam germplasm
Sunda or Sahul? The origin of the greater Yam (Dioscorea alata)
-Relationships between the Greater Yam (D. alata) and related Enantiophyllum species
-100 accessions of D. alata, originating from Africa, India, and Melanesia
-To characterize the starch attributes of different Dioscorea spp. genotypes
-Yam domestication and origin of agriculture on the Sahul plate, challenging the
hypothesis of a Sunda origin and the subsequent transfer of D. alata to Melanesia, the
centre of diversity

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Documentation:
-Data management team
-More publicity (usual and social media)
-IITA online system, World GR portal: Genesys
http://my.iita.org/accession2/index.jspx https://www.genesys-pgr.org/welcome
Easy SMTA (online and faster)
Serious need for feedback...
End user-oriented management of the collection
Accountability and justification
Acknowledgement of the use in papers, communications…
Documentation and promotion of use

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Yam GR is key for more effectiveness in providing
better material to farmers for…
Yam I. Income and Food Security W. A.