Preliminary verification of the adoption status of some yam (Dioscorea rotundata and Dioscorea alata) varieties in Nigeria using microsatellites markers

The persistent low yield and farmers’ preference of their traditional yam varieties over the improved necessitated this study to verify adoption status released in Nigeria. A total 48 accessions white (Dioscorea rotundata) were sampled from six states Ebonyi, Enugu, Benue, Kogi, Nassarawa Oyo within Nigeria yam-belt genotyped for relatedness four National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike breeding programme, while 14 water (D. alata) also three International Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. 29 alleles found 5 sets primers analyzed 52 D. rotundata number ranged (Dald08, SSR 51 YM 34) 8 (Dab2E07) with an average 5.8 per locus. observed heterozygosity 0.19 (YM34) 0.77 (YM30). gene diversity 0.63 according Nei (1978) genetic distance coefficients was among accessions. Similarly, a 37 when 17 alata analysed 7 selected primers. An 5.29 varied 0.47 (Dab2D06) 0.82 (YM34). 0.58 Nei’ coefficients. Cluster analysis showed that classified into clusters. While, 4 There relationships between some farmers different locations, indicating might have given preferred local name varieties.   Key words: Verification, adoption, status, yam, microsatellites-markers.