Logo
TAAT e-catalog for Development partners
https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/org/technologies/sah-semi-autotrophic-hydroponics-for-yam-multiplication
Request information View pitch brochure
Request information Download pitch brochure Translate

SAH: Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics for yam multiplication

Multiplying Seeds, Securing Harvests, Ensuring Food Security!

SAH is a low-cost licensed technology designed for mass multiplication of yam through leaf nodal cuttings, which are grown in a sterile planting medium such as peat moss, decomposed sawdust, rice husk, or cocopeat. These cuttings are placed in transparent plastic containers under controlled conditions, where they develop roots, shoots, and eventually tubers.

2

This technology is pre-validated.

9•7

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

The poor: Positive high

The high yield encourages farmers

Under 18: Positive medium

Youths are encouraged to embrace farming at a very tender age

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

It works in diverse agro-ecology

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Its adapted to different climate change

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

It aids germplasm distribution thus enhances genetic biodiversity

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

It improve environmental health by absorbing carbon

Water use: A bit less water used

It does not require much water

Problem

  • Insufficient Seed Supply: The production of seed yam is inadequate to meet national food security needs.
  • High Seed Costs: Seed yam accounts for up to 50% of total production costs, making it unaffordable for many farmers.
  • High Seed Consumption from Previous Harvests: Farmers typically use up to 33% of their previous year’s harvest as seed, reducing food availability for consumption and sale.

Solution

  • High Multiplication Rate: A single box of 25 seedlings can yield up to 500 plants in 90 days, and over 1,000 plants when transplanted into pots for further multiplication.
  • Space Efficiency: 1 million planting materials can be produced within 60 square meters, ensuring year-round supply.
  • Scalability: The technology is adaptable for formal seed systems and commercial seed enterprises, supporting the growth of the yam seed sector.

Key points to design your program

SAH Yam Technology offers a sustainable solution for rapid, high-quality yam multiplication, supporting food security and addressing seed shortages.

  • Collaborate with local seed producers, seed companies, and government agencies to integrate the technology into existing systems.
  • Support capacity building for smallholder farmers and seed companies, providing training and technical assistance.
  • Facilitate access to necessary infrastructure, such as growth chambers and shelves.
  • Help ensure policy alignment and compliance with national seed regulations.
  • Monitor and evaluate the impact of SAH on food security, production efficiency, and income generation.

2250 USD

Cost of producing 50,000 SAH seedling

33 %

Return on investment on seedling sales

60,000 USD

Construction or acquisition of the fixed assets

10,000—25,000 USD

Labor cost in West Africa per year

20,000 USD

Laboratory setup including shelving

15,000 USD

Consumables (Substrates, plastic box, nutrients and non-consumables and maintenance)

IP

Open source / open access

Tested & adopted
Adopted
Tested
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
Benin –
Côte d’Ivoire –
Ghana –
Nigeria –

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 1: no poverty
Goal 1: no poverty

Supports smallholder farmers and seed multipliers by providing affordable planting materials, boosting incomes.
Sustainable Development Goal 2: zero hunger
Goal 2: zero hunger

Enhances food security by increasing the availability of quality yam seeds, reducing production costs, and improving farmer yields.
Sustainable Development Goal 8: decent work and economic growth
Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Creates opportunities in seed production and distribution, promoting agribusiness.
Sustainable Development Goal 13: climate action
Goal 13: climate action

Encourages efficient resource use and reduces reliance on traditional, less sustainable seed propagation methods.

  1. Set Up a Growing Area: Install metal or plastic shelves in an indoor or screen-house facility.
  2. Prepare Planting Materials: Obtain vine cuttings from certified sources (e.g., botanical seeds, virus-free tissue culture plantlets, or SAH mother plants).
  3. Use a Sterile Growing Medium: Plant cuttings in peat moss, decomposed sawdust, or rice husk inside transparent plastic containers.
  4. Provide Adequate Lighting: Use LED tubes for consistent light exposure, especially in indoor setups.
  5. Water Twice a Week: Maintain minimal but sufficient watering until transplant or tuber maturation.
  6. Harvest & Scale Up: Harvest tubers and seedlings for direct planting or further multiplication.

Downloads

Last updated on 28 May 2025

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
 Pelemo Olugboyega Success
Commodities
Yam
Sustainable Development Goals Details ›
Sustainable Development Goal 1: no poverty
Sustainable Development Goal 2: zero hunger
Sustainable Development Goal 8: decent work and economic growth
Sustainable Development Goal 13: climate action
+ 1 more
Category
Practices
Subcategory
Yield improvement Seed system Production system
Value chain step
Production
Solution
Seed system
Tested/adopted in Details ›
Tested & adopted
Adopted
Tested
Testing ongoing
Where it can be used Details ›

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.

QR code

SAH: Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics for yam multiplication

https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/org/technologies/sah-semi-autotrophic-hydroponics-for-yam-multiplication

Last updated on 28 May 2025, printed on 30 May 2025

Enquiries e-catalogs@taat.africa