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FACTORS INFLUENCING THE AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF THE ADAPTED YAM MINISETT TECHNIQUE IN NIGERIA – PLANTING DATE AND GENDER OF THE FARMER

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2016

STEPHEN MORSE*
Affiliation:
Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES), University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK
NORA McNAMARA
Affiliation:
Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, West Park Artane, Dublin 5, Ireland
*
§Corresponding author. Email: s.morse@surrey.ac.uk

Summary

This paper describes the results of 3 year's data from farmers using the Adaptive Yam Minisett Technique (AYMT) to produce seed yams in Nigeria. A total of 30 sites were established each year between 2013 and 2015 in the Idah area (Kogi State) of Nigeria and 58 plots in the Amoke area (Benue State) in 2015. Each site had yam setts (80 to 100 g) untreated and treated with a pesticide ‘dip’ prior to planting and farmers (male and female) were free to select the variety and manage the sites as they wished. In line with previous research, the results suggest that treatment does increase the weight of tubers produced by a sett but not necessarily the number of tubers. Varietal differences were also observed. For the first time, the results suggest that the time of planting does have a significant impact on seed tuber weight, with later planting leading to small tubers. Also, the gender of the farmer had an impact on some of the agronomic variables, with male owners of the site generally producing more and larger tubers per sett planted and sprouted than female owners. Various mechanisms for the latter are discussed in the paper.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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