Vegetative propagation of yam (
Dioscorea
spp.) with seed tubers is done to ensure uniformity of crop growth
and yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of serial planting of seed yam on virus incidence
and tuber degeneration in the Southern Guinea Savanna agro-ecologies of Nigeria. This study was conducted
during the wet seasons of 2010 to 2012 at Kwara State and Abuja Federal Capital Territory (Abuja-FCT) in
Nigeria. TDa 05/00129 and TDr 89/02665 yam bred lines from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture,
Ibadan, and three popular local varieties from each of Kwara State and Abuja Federal Capital Territory (Abuja-
FCT) were used in the study. Harvested seed yams were tested for
Yam mosaic virus (YMV),
Yam mild mottle
virus (YMMV),
Dioscorea alata
bacilliform viruses (DaBV) and
Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Data obtained
for germination percentage, virus incidence and tuber yields were subjected to ANOVA with mean separation
done using Tukey HSD method in SPSS version 24. Viruses YMV, YMMV and DaBV were detected in seed yam
as single or mixed infections. High virus incidence was associated with low tuber yield while low virus infection
was associated with high tuber yield for most yam varieties. However, TDa 05/00129 produced high tuber yield
inspite of high incidence of viruses in the tubers, indicating adaptation of this variety. There was progressive
increase in virus population in yam seeds from the first to the third year of study with concurrent degeneration
of seed yam and low yield at harvest.