The yam minisett technique is a way to get healthy yam planting materials in commercial quantities. This solves the problem of availability due to the competition. It also makes quality yam planting materials available. In this case, there will be enough yam to eat and to plant.
Follow these simple steps to get your healthy yam materials.
1. Select clean, disease-free healthy mother seed yam (500gms)
(Minisetts (small pieces of yam) prepared from ware yams sprout late and uneven)
Select tubers immediately after dormancy is broken (2-3 months after harvesting)
2. Clean mother seed yam and cut into minisetts (50-100gms).
Minisetts that weigh up to 150gms, produce milked yams weighing above 1kg.
A mother seed yam of 500gms can produce 15-20 minisetts.
Ensure that each piece has a skin or periderm.
3. Treat minisetts with broad-spectrum fungicide, insecticide and wood ash.
Wear gloves to protect the hands when treating with fungicides.
This treatment is necessary to protect minisetts against fungi and bacteria.
4. Spread treated minisetts under shade for 1-2 hours to air-dry the surfaces.
Do not expose directly to the sun.
5. Pre-sprout minisetts in 1-meter wide nursery beds or in baskets with moist sawdust or plant in-situ
Pre-sprouted minisetts give good plant establishment in the field after transplanting.
6. Transplant pre-sprouted minisetts after 1 month into the field.
Plant at a spacing of 25cm on ridges.
Plant at a depth of 5-7cm below the soil.
7. Stake using the trellis system.
8. Harvest milked yam 4 months after transplanting
Take care not to damage seedlings at harvest.
9. Harvest seed tuber 5-6 months after transplanting
Avoid bruising and damage during harvesting and transporting.
