Best Practices for Yam ​​

• The optimum temperature range for growing yams is between 25 and 30 Celsius degree.​
• It is essential for the farmer to know consumer needs and to cultivate the crop in a manner that will maintain the qualities of the selected variety.
• Good land preparation is indispensable for seed yam cultivation.​
• Selecting healthy seed tubers of the right variety (positive selection) is a critical decision for all producers. The seed tuber must be pest and disease-free, of the right variety, and of the correct physiological age.​
• The use of yam minisett technique can increase the multiplication ratio of seed yam production in traditional systems from 1:3 to 1:30, and reduces the cost of seed yam production.​
• Seed yam can be planted and mulched at the onset of the rainy season or when rains are well established.​
• If planted early in the cropping season when rains are not yet stable, the field should be mulched to prevent the planted setts from desiccation. Mulching also improves soil fertility, protects against erosion and caking of the soil, and suppresses weeds.​
• For production of average size seed tubers, the recommended spacing is 100 × 25 cm, giving a population of 40 000 plants/ha of sole crop.​
• Staking reduces mutual shading of yam foliage thereby increasing the photosynthetic capacity of plants for better yields. Yams are staked when vines are about 1 m long using stakes of 1.5–2 m tall.​
• For optimum growth and yield, ensure that the field is kept free of weeds as much as possible. At least one weeding during the first three months of planting is necessary.​
• Harvesting should be done before the soil gets too dry, otherwise more effort will be required to dig out the tubers from the soil and more injury will be inflicted on the tubers.