YAMSYS: Sustainable Yam Systems in West Africa

Summary

Yams are tuber crops essential for food security in West Africa. However, tuber productivity of traditional cropping systems is much lower than the yield potential. This is due to the high level of soil fertility required by these plants and its rapid decrease when the plot is cropped with yams.
YAMSYS aims at developing sustainable methods for soil management that will allow establishing yams in long-term crop rotations to increase tuber yields and to enhance income of the actors working along the yam value chains in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire. The project is developing innovations in integrated soil fertility management for yam-based cropping systems and is facilitating its adoption through the engagement of relevant stakeholders through innovation platforms.