TAAT e-catalog
for
government
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/gov/technologies/climate-smart-and-market-preferred-yam-varieties
More yield, better quality, stronger resilience!
These varieties can produce between 20 and 30 tons per hectare, compared to 5 to 10 tons from traditional yams. They mature earlier, in 7 to 8 months instead of 10 to 12, which enables double cropping or quicker returns for farmers. They carry resistance or tolerance to major threats such as yam mosaic virus, anthracnose, nematodes, and beetles. In addition, they are compatible with cost-efficient seed yam production technologies, including minisett, vine cutting, and semi-autotrophic hydroponics (SAH). Their tubers are more uniform, market-preferred, and offer high poundability, storability, and consumer-appealing taste.
This technology is pre-validated.
| Target groups | Positive impacts |
| Youth with low literacy in rural area |
|
| Women smalholder famer with limited land access |
|
| Older farmers with low income in climate vulnerable area |
|
Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable
These improved varieties are bred for resilience to drought, low soil fertility, and temperature stresses, helping sustain yields despite changing climates.
Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement
Farmer awareness of climate change effects is growing, supporting adoption of these varieties and practices.
Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility
These varieties combined with improved management practices (ridging, fertilizer application, mulching) improve nutrient use efficiency, increase soil organic matter, and enhance fertility, reducing degradation common in continuous yam cropping.
Water use: Much less water used
Early maturing and drought-tolerant traits help reduce water demand by shortening field duration and improving water use efficiency.
Biodiversity: Not verified
Low national yam productivity: Traditional varieties yielding 5–10 tonnes per hectare limit the productive potential of yam-growing areas.
Climate-related production instability: Drought, poor soil fertility and temperature stress threaten reliable yam production.
Pest and disease pressure: Major yam pests and diseases reduce harvests and increase production risks.
Long production cycles: Maturity periods of 10–12 months constrain land-use efficiency and delay production turnover.
Limited access to improved planting material: Inefficient use of large tubers as seed can restrict the availability of planting material for expanding production.
Weak market performance: Variable tuber quality and limited storability constrain commercialization and the development of stronger yam value chains.
Increased yam productivity: Improved varieties can produce 20–30 tonnes per hectare, compared with 5–10 tonnes from traditional varieties.
Improved climate resilience: Tolerance to drought, low soil fertility and temperature stress helps stabilize yam production under variable conditions.
Reduced pest and disease losses: Resistant or tolerant varieties help protect yields and reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
More efficient land use: Maturity in 7–8 months shortens production cycles and provides greater flexibility for crop rotation and land-use planning.
Stronger seed systems: Compatibility with minisett, vine-cutting and SAH technologies supports more efficient multiplication and distribution of quality planting material.
Improved market performance: Uniform, market-preferred tubers with good storability support commercialization and stronger yam value chains.
The improved yam varieties offers a practical solution to the environmental and socio-economic challenges faced in yam production across Sub-Saharan Africa.
To integrate this technology into your project, plan activities around
Consider the overall costs associated with seed yam procurement, including sourcing from certified seed producers, transportation and delivery logistics, import duties where applicable, and capacity building through training and follow-up support.
Early Generation Seeds of these yam varieties are available from the following sources:
Nigeria:
For best results, combine adoption of improved yam varieties with sustainable practices such as integrated soil fertility management, mulching, and pest control methods. This integrated approach increases productivity and environmental sustainability.
Implementing partners could collaborate with IITA, national agricultural research institutes, seed multiplication companies, women’s groups, and youth organizations to ensure inclusive access and successful adoption.
Open source / open access
Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.
Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.
The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.
Read more about scaling readiness ›
Uncontrolled environment: validated
Common use by projects NOT connected to technology provider
| Maturity of the idea | Level of use | |||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||
| 8 | ||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||
| 1 | ||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| Project | Countries | Beneficiaries | Budget (USD) & duration | Key figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ESFSP Emergency Support to Food Security Project |
|
|
6.5 million African Development Bank (AfDB) 2022–2024 |
|
|
IsDB Root and Tuber IsDB Root and Tuber Value Chains Development Project |
|
|
550.000 Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) 2021-2026 |
|
Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.
| Target groups | Positive impacts |
| Youth with low literacy in rural area |
|
| Women smalholder famer with limited land access |
|
| Older farmers with low income in climate vulnerable area |
|
| Target groups | Unintended impacts | Mitigation measures |
| Youth with low literacy in rural area |
|
|
| Women smalholder famer with limited land access |
|
|
| Older farmers with low income in climate vulnerable area |
|
|
| Target groups | Barriers to adoption | Mitigation measures |
| Youth with low literacy in rural area |
|
|
| Women smalholder famer with limited land access |
|
|
| Older farmers with low income in climate vulnerable area |
|
|
| Country | Testing ongoing | Tested | Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benin | –No ongoing testing | Tested | –Not adopted |
| Côte d'Ivoire | –No ongoing testing | Tested | Adopted |
| Ethiopia | Testing ongoing | –Not tested | –Not adopted |
| Ghana | –No ongoing testing | Tested | Adopted |
| Madagascar | Testing ongoing | –Not tested | –Not adopted |
| Nigeria | –No ongoing testing | Tested | Adopted |
| Sierra Leone | –No ongoing testing | Tested | –Not adopted |
| The Democratic Republic of the Congo | Testing ongoing | –Not tested | –Not adopted |
| Uganda | Testing ongoing | –Not tested | –Not adopted |
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.
| AEZ | Subtropic - warm | Subtropic - cool | Tropic - warm | Tropic - cool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arid | – | – | – | – |
| Semiarid | – | – | – | – |
| Subhumid | – | – | – | |
| Humid | – | – | – |
Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.
Improved yam varieties increase yields and income for smallholder farmers, addressing rural poverty and economic vulnerability by providing higher food and market productivity.
These varieties enhance food security by producing more yam food faster (early maturity) with better resistance to pests, diseases, and climate stresses, contributing to sustainable and diversified diets.
Climate-smart breeding traits help farmers adapt to climate change, improve resilience to drought and low soil fertility, and reduce deforestation pressure through sustainable intensification.
Sustainable yam production with improved varieties and integrated soil fertility management reduces land degradation and promotes biodiversity conservation in yam farming landscapes.
1- Source Clean Planting Material
2- Adopt Proper Seed Multiplication Technologies
3- Plant at Recommended Spacing
4- Provide Good Field Management
5- Harvest at the Right Time
6- Storage and Marketing Tips
Last updated on Oct 15, 2026
This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.
Climate-Smart and Market-Preferred Yam Varieties
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/gov/technologies/climate-smart-and-market-preferred-yam-varieties
Last updated on 15 October 2026, printed on Oct 31, 2026
Enquiries e-catalogs@taat.africa
