New year begins with release of new high-yield yam variety in Nigeria

IITA–CGIAR, in collaboration with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), has released a new yam variety, UMUDr36 (IITA breeding ID: TDr1302100) for farmers in Nigeria, with the commercial name ‘SharpSharp’.

The announcement was made at the 33^rd Meeting of the National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breed/Fisheries held in Ibadan on 11 January 2024.

UMUDr36-SharpSharp is a White Guinea yam (D. rotundata) variety. The new varieties originated from IITA and were released to farmers through NRCRI, Umudike. The UMUDr36-SharpSharp was released because of its remarkable attributes: early maturity, high yield, high flour production, and good boiling and pounding capabilities.

In yams, drought stress in the late growing season impacts yield significantly, so introducing early-maturing varieties is expected to help stabilize farmers’ income. The noteworthy point of the new variety is its high potential yield of 33 t/ha, despite its earlier maturity period of 180-210 days compared to the varieties released last year (UMUDr33 and UMUDr34) with a maturity period of 230-270 days in Nigeria.

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