“Wrap and Plant” Seed Treatment: A Sustainable Management Practice for Yield Improvement and Storability of Yam Against Plant‐Parasitic Nematodes in Ghana

Abstract

Yam is an important food and income security crop for people in Ghana. Plant‐parasitic nematode infestation in soils and seed yams is a hindrance to peak production and profitability of the yam business. The key yam nematodes are Scutellonema bradys , Meloidogyne spp., and Pratylenchus spp., which cause dry rot in yam in the field, and in storage resulting in tuber losses. This study evaluated the efficacy and yield potential of abamectin “wrap and plant” technology in the management of plant‐parasitic nematodes in yam production in comparison with the traditional method in three agroecological zones in Ghana. The experiment was conducted over two seasons across three locations (Krachi‐Nchumuru, Zabzugu, and Nkoranza) in Ghana, using a randomized complete block design with four replications. Field trials were set up in both wet (March–May) and dry (November–February) seasons for Nchumuru and Zabzugu districts with the exception of Nkoranza district, which had only a dry season field trial. Treatments involved banana paper with abamectin (treatment A), banana paper only (Treatment B), and farmer’s practices (FPs). Nematode damage severity after 5 months of yam storage for treatment A was the least (2.21, 3.78, and 4.60) for Krachi‐Nchumuru, Zabzugu, and Nkoranza districts, respectively. There were no significant differences among the various treatments for the initial and final nematode populations, and all treatments had reproductive factors (Rf) less than 1. Treatment A further had the least yam weight losses (29.79%, 30.18%, and 68.12%) after 5 months of storage for Krachi‐Nchumuru, Zabzugu, and Nkoranza districts, respectively. Yam weight losses in Legon storage environments were slightly lower than those in the other storage environments due to lower relative humidities in these barns. Abamectin‐treated banana paper has the potential to reduce yam rot and nematode population build‐up in yams placed in storage.