YAM YAM YAM

Yam is classified under the plant species in the genus Dioscorea family that form edible tubers. Yams are vigorous herbaceous vines that vary in sizes. They are native of Africa, Asia and the Americas. The plant scatters by seed.

Consumer demand for yam is high despite the high labor requirements and production costs.

YAM BOTANICAL NAMES (Dioscorea - D)

D. rotundata	White yam
D. cayenensis	Yellow yam
D. alata	White/ Winged/ Water/ Purple yam
D. dumetorum	Bitter yam
D. esculenta	Lesser yam
D. bulbifera	Air yam
D. polystachya	Chinese yam
D. trifida	Cush-Cush yam

The palatable tuber has an uneven skin difficult to peel. The majority of the vegetable is composed of a much softer substance known as the "meat". This substance ranges in color from white or yellow to purple or pink in mature yams.

White yam	Yellow yam
Water yam	Bitter yam
Lesser yam	Air yam
Chinese yam	Cush-Cush yam

Yam crop begins when whole seed tubers or tuber portions are planted into mounds or ridges, at the beginning of the rainy season. The crop yield depends on how and where the sets are planted, sizes of mounds, interplant spacing, provision of stakes for the resultant plants, yam species, and tuber sizes desired at harvest.

Farmers who do not buy new seed yams usually set aside up to 30% of their harvest for planting the next year.