Pesticide residues in seed yams produced using the adaptive Yam Minisett Technique

ABSTRACT

This paper provides the results of the first research designed to test for pesticide residue analysis conducted on seed yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) tubers produced via the Adaptive Yam Minisett technique (AYMT). AYMT uses a pesticide-based water dip to treat setts (~75 g) cut from a yam tuber, and these setts are planted to produce healthy seed yams. While the dip is known to be effective in terms of sett survival in the field along with quantity and yield of seed yams produced, one potential issue is the carry-over of chlorpyrifos from treated setts into the seed yams. The research reported here describes the results from an experimental plot established in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria designed to address this issue. A total of 54 seed yam tubers (18 seed yams from each plot) were analyzed from control (untreated), half-dose and full-dose pesticide dip treatments and results show that there is no carryover of chlorpyrifos from treated setts into the seed yams. There may also be potential to significantly reduce pesticide concentration in the dip, although this requires further research before a new recommendation can be developed.

KEYWORDS:

• Dioscorea rotundata
• seed yam
• adaptive Yam Minisett Technique
• chlorpyrifos
• residue

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank NLW for the funding to undertake this research. The authors would also like to thank Dr Adamu Shuaibu and Nathaniel Otene for support with fieldwork and Mr Howard Hilton of SGS for his help and support with the transportation of samples and pesticide analysis. Finally, the authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their support and suggestions for improvement of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.