Population Development in Yams for Integrating Genomics Application and Predicting Clone Development

Yam (Dioscorea spp) is one of the important crops in West African agriculture and food systems. The crop has a tremendous potential to contribute more to food security and poverty alleviation. The potential of the crop is yet to be exploited in this regard. Strengthening the national breeding programs is one of the strategic steps required to unlock the potential of the crop. Yam breeding presents special challenges and heavily relies on the exploitation of natural variation. For yam breeding to be successful and efficient, development of populations for genetic analysis and predicting clone development is one of the crucial steps. The yam-breeding programs in West Africa with the support of AfricaYam project are integrating population development for breeding with genetics analysis to accelerate genetic gain and optimize the breeding process. The population development targets trait-packages, both core and desirable traits that are important for the success of breeding programs. Here we describe the portfolio of population development strategies being implemented in yam breeding in West Africa.