Logo
TAAT e-catalog for Development partners
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/org/technologies/leaf-bud-cuttings-rapid-yam-multiplication-method
Request information View pitch brochure

Leaf-bud Cuttings: Rapid Yam Multiplication Method

Yam leaf-bud cuttings, rapid quality seed production!

The Leaf-bud Cuttings technology involves cutting yam vines into small segments (each with a leaf and a bud), which are then planted in a shaded, well-managed nursery or field in moist substrate or soil. Within 16-20 weeks, plants from these cuttings produce seed tubers, which can be used for food yam production. This technique achieves a multiplication ratio of up to 1:300—far higher than the traditional method of using large tubers for propagation. It lowers seed cost, reduces virus (especially yam mosaic virus) and nematode spread, and makes clean seed available to smallholder farmers. The method is simple, adaptable to low-resource settings, and suitable for inclusion in community-based seed systems and resilience-building programs.

2

This technology is pre-validated.

9•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

This group is also curious and follows up to see the outcome of the technology. Most of them have a good understanding of yam production and have practised it using tubers, as in the traditional system. Some have collected vines to try out, and others have followed the entire process at the research station or with partners who are practising. Many are eager to produce on a large scale.

The poor: Positive medium

The primary impact on people in this category is through the provision of labour to those who practice the technology.

Under 18: Positive medium

This group is curious and wants to find out if it is possible to produce yams from vines. They lack extensive farming experience, are eager to learn, but lack the resources to establish seed production units.

Women: Positive high

Where the technology is used, more women than men are usually engaged in preparing the LBCs because they are more patient and careful in handling the vines to avoid damage. Some women's groups have shown a strong interest in starting small-scale production. Training and vines will be provided for them to start this season.

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

The technology works well in all regions where yam is cultivated, specifically where temperatures range from 22 to 30 °C and rainfall is between 1,000 and 1,400 mm per year. However, due to the short crop duration, the technology will work with less rainfall. Additionally, it works well in controlled conditions where temperature and water supply are regulated.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

With seed yam production using LBCs, more seed is produced in a limited area, with potential environmental benefits. The risk of not having seed from a second harvest of a food yam crop due to a shortened rainy season is eliminated.

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

In traditional yam cultivation, trees are cut down to provide stakes for the plants. With the LBC technology, the use of trellis, which significantly reduces the quantity of stakes required, is promoted.

Water use: A bit less water used

The traditional method of seed production is completely rainfed. With the LBCs, although water must be applied during the first two weeks of planting, the crop duration is shorter (4-5 months instead of 7-10 months in traditional systems).

Soil quality: Not yet estimated

When organic mulch, such as fermented rice husk, is used, soil improvement occurs; however, the magnitude of this impact has not been evaluated.

Problem

  • Millions of yam farmers rely on recycled seed tubers, which are prone to pest and virus contamination after years of reuse, keeping yields low and losses high.
  • Traditional seed practices offer a very low multiplication ratio, making it difficult to scale up improved and resilient yam varieties across communities.
  • Erratic rainfall and climate stress make the traditional second harvest for seed unreliable, leaving farmers with limited planting material in the next season.
  • Farmers often lose a large portion of their seeds in the field due to rot and disease, pushing them to abandon yam or shift to lower-value crops, which affects income and nutrition.
  • The lack of a structured, quality-assured seed system limits the effectiveness and sustainability of development programs aiming to enhance food security, resilience, and rural livelihoods.

Solution

  • Empower smallholder farmers with more food and income: LBC reduces the need to save edible yam for seed, increasing household food availability and marketable surplus.
  • Strengthen seed systems at scale: With a multiplication rate of 1:300, it becomes feasible to meet demand for quality seed across entire yam-growing regions in a short time.
  • Improve project sustainability and resilience: Healthy planting material reduces crop loss, while climate-smart propagation methods support adaptive farming practices.
  • Enable inclusive technology access: LBC can be adopted by farmer groups, cooperatives, and youth enterprises, promoting job creation and equitable growth.
  • Boost long-term impact of investments: By solving a critical seed bottleneck, LBC helps ensure adoption of improved varieties and better returns on donor support.

Key points to design your program

Leaf-bud Cutting (LBC) technology provides a practical and scalable solution for addressing seed yam scarcity and improving food security across yam-growing regions. By using vine segments instead of bulky tubers, LBC enables rapid, cost-effective multiplication of improved yam varieties—critical for accelerating varietal dissemination and resilience building. The technology reduces seed costs (which account for up to 60% of production expenses), increases seed availability for smallholder farmers, and supports climate-smart agriculture by eliminating tuber-borne diseases and pests. LBC aligns with development priorities such as inclusive agribusiness, nutrition, women’s empowerment, and private sector engagement in seed systems.

To integrate this technology into your program, include these activities:

  • Baseline and Target Setting: Identify geographic areas where yam seed systems are weakest and establish measurable adoption goals.
  • Capacity Building: Fund hands-on training and technical support for farmer groups, cooperatives, or youth enterprises to manage vine nurseries.
  • Technology Promotion: Support campaigns, community demos, and digital content to raise awareness and trust in LBC propagation.
  • Public-Private Linkages: Facilitate connections between local entrepreneurs and research institutions for sustainable seed supply chains.
  • Monitoring and Learning: Embed real-time data collection and impact evaluation to inform scaling strategies and future replication.

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour
Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour
Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour
Tested
Countries with a blue colour
Testing ongoing
Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Burkina Faso Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Côte d’Ivoire Eritrea Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Cameroon Kenya Libya Liberia Madagascar Mali Malawi Morocco Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda Zambia Senegal Sierra Leone Zimbabwe Somalia South Sudan Sudan South Africa Eswatini Tanzania Togo Tunisia Chad Uganda Western Sahara Central African Republic Lesotho
Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country Testing ongoing Tested Adopted
Ghana No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Nigeria No ongoing testing Tested Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
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.

Sustainable Development Goal 2: zero hunger
Goal 2: zero hunger

The technology enhances the production and productivity of yam seeds, leading to increased yam yields and more food.

Sustainable Development Goal 5: gender equality
Goal 5: gender equality

In scaling the technology, women and youths are targeted because they can fit easily into the niche of seed production, which is simple and does not require much capital, especially land.

Sustainable Development Goal 1: no poverty
Goal 1: no poverty

Its increases yam production and food availability.

Sustainable Development Goal 12: responsible production and consumption
Goal 12: responsible production and consumption

Its promotes efficient use of planting material and reduces waste.

  1. Source quality planting materials, which are minitubers of less than 10 g (preferably 2-5 g) or plantlets from a reputable breeder, foundation, or certified seed source.
  2. Plant seeds in a suitable substrate in a screen house.
  3. Apply water and nutrients as necessary.
  4. Stake plants individually to ease vine harvest and the preparation of cuttings.
  5. At 10-12 weeks after planting, cut vines from mother plants, leaving 2-3 nodes at the base of the mother plant.
  6. Immerse the cut vine in clean water in a basin.
  7. Prepare a fungicide solution in another basin: 2 g of a broad-spectrum fungicide, such as Mancozeb (80%), in 1 L of water. Mix thoroughly.
  8. Remove the previously cut vine from the water and detangle the vines carefully to avoid damage to leaves and buds. 
  9. Make clean cuts through the stem, with each LBC containing one bud, one leaf and a 1 cm stem piece on either side of the node.
  10. Dip the LBCs in the fungicide for 10 minutes. During this process, ensure that basic personal protective measures are observed by using plastic hand gloves and a nose mask.
  11. Remove the cuttings and plant immediately in a moist substrate in containers in the screen house or on beds in the field.
  12. For field planting, prepare beds with a width of 1-1.2 m and a length of your convenience. Apply an organic mulch such as fermented rice husk if available.
  13. Provide adequate shade before planting in the field.
  14. After planting, apply water to ensure that the leaves of the cuttings stay turgid, especially during the first two weeks. With proper care, rooting typically begins about eight days after planting. Continue watering if there is irregular rainfall and if planting is done in a screen house.
  15. Remove the shade from the field crop when plants have produced shoots with 3-5 leaves, about six weeks after planting.
  16. Stake plants at the 5- to 10-leaf stage.
  17. Fertiliser application will depend on the soil fertility status. Generally, NPK 15:15:15 is recommended.
  18. From the 2–3 nodes left on the mother plants, new vines will grow. Once they develop, repeat the process of leaf bud cutting preparation and planting.
  19. Harvest the crop carefully at 4-5 months after planting or at the time of senescence. 
  20. Sort out any diseased tubers.
  21. Treat the healthy tubers in a mixture of fungicide and insecticide and spread them out to dry.
  22. Store the seeds in a cool, well-ventilated place with high relative humidity to reduce dehydration.

Last updated on 1 July 2025