Evaluation of Guinea White Yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) for Yield and Yield Components in Nigeria

A study was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Cross River Basin Development Authority, Oku-Iboku, Itu in Akwa Ibom State in 2012 and 2013 cropping seasons.The aim was to evaluate seven genotypes of guinea white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) accessions at the last stage of uniform yield trial (UYT) for yield and yield components.The plant characters studied were vine length, number of branches, number of leaves, length of tubers, circumference of tubers, number of tubers per plant, fresh weight of tubers and tubers yield (t/ha).The result indentified UYT 89/02602 with highest performance in six characters: number of branches, number of leaves, length of tubers, circumference of tubers, fresh weight of tubers and tuber yield (t/ha), followed by the local cultivar, Akpedu as check.Similarly, UYT 89/02677 gave superior performance for vine length and number of tubers per plant.The three genotypes could be selected for and incorporated into breeding programmes for development of hybrid varieties for Itu, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.Also, Original Research ArticleUYT 89/02602 and UYT 89/02677 are suitable candidates for advancement to pre-release trial and eventual varietal release.