Sustaining diversity of yams in northern Ghana - Managing Agrodiversity the Traditional Way - page 85

in the Nanumba district of the northern region of Ghana. The essence of cultivation
in the shrine is to receive blessing of the newly discovered yam types.

Cultivation methods

Several yam species are grown in Bongnayili-Dugu-Song, with details presented
in Table 8.1.
Yam is normally grown as the first crop in a rotation after the land has been
cleared. Usually little or no fertilizer is used in yam cultivation, even though the crop
responds favourably to application of phosphorus and potassium. Yam performs best
in deep, well-drained loamy soils and is frequently grown in a mixture with other
crops such as millet, sorghum, maize, rice, cowpea, and other crops of savanna and
transitional ecological zones. However, a clear relationship exists between cultiva-
tion of yam as a sole crop and high yield (Kowal and Kassam, 1978).
In northern Ghana, land preparation for yam cultivation involves use of
the cutlass and hoe for clearing bush followed by burning of the residue. The

Table 8.1 Yam accessions in a PLEC demonstration site in northern Ghana.

Accession no. Local name Yam species

1 Digi D. rotundata

2 Bombe-tingye D. rotundata

3 Kpuringa D. rotundata

4 Laabako D. rotundata

5 Chamba D. rotundata

6 Manchisi D. alata

7 Kpuno D. rotundata

8 Zuglanbo D. rotundata

9 Kan-gbaringa D. rotundata

10 Chenchito D. rotundata

11 Fugla/fugra D. rotundata

12 Zong D. rotundata

13 Baamuyegu D. rotundata

14 Liilya D. rotundata

15 Kiki D. rotundata

16 Dakpani D. rotundata

17 Baayeri D. rotundata

18 Goenyeni D. rotundata

19 Mogni-nyugo D. rotundata

20 Gun-gonsalli D. rotundata

21 Nyuwogu D. alata

22 ( Nkanfu ?) D. bulbifera

Source: PLEC field survey, 1999-2001