DNA from twenty-three late maturing cultivars of Guinea yams (D. cayenensis/D. rotundata complex) from the Benin Republic that could not be separated using isozyme markers, were examined using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers with decamer primers of arbitrary sequence. All the twelve primers tested were informative and yielded 63 amplified DNA bands from which 47 (75%) were polymorphic. Although no single primer produced polymorphic bands in all cultivars, the great majority of the cultivars were separated with the combinations of polymorphic bands generated by various primers. Putative duplicates and cultivar misclassifications were identified. Many morphologically distinct cultivars were close. The dwarf cultivar Tam-Sam considered as derived from Tabane, appeared more distant from the latter than was believed. RAPD analysis was found as a practical tool for the identification of duplicates toward establishment of an accurate core collection of Guinea yams in Benin Republic and in the other countries of the African yam belt.

Yam; Food Security; Plant Diseases; Pests Of Plant; Plant Breeding; Plant Production; Farm Management Markets; Genetic Improvement; Diseases Control; Agribusiness; Plant Genetic Resources; Smallholder Farmers; Domestic Trade; Livelihoods

Core Collection; Cultivar Identification; Dioscorea Cayenensis; Dioscorea Rotundata Complex; Guinea Yam; Identification Of Duplicates; Rapd

Africa; West Africa

Benin; Nigeria; Cote D'Ivoire