yam multiplication

1. Biocrops Biotechnology Limited:
Yam Multiplication project
Ms. Adaora Ekwegbara
YIIFSWA Technical officer. Biocrops
Ltd

2. Pioneers of Commercial
Biotechnology
in NigeriaBoard Members Senior staff

3. Biocrops at a Glance
• Biocrops, established in 2000, is the premier
biotechnology company in
Nigeria.
• Biocrops operates at two
centers located in Lagos and Abuja.

4. Plantation crops being
promoted by Biocrops include:-
Sugarcane
Cocoa
Oil Palm
Cotton
Pineapples
Eucalyptus
Cassava
Sweet potato
Yam
Banana
Plantain

5. Biocrops
in
pictures

6. Biocrops has
established the
industry standard
for the size of
sugarcane
seedling for field
deployment

7. Yam
multiplication
at Biocrops

8. Picture showing the largest
Immersion Bioreactor in Nigeria

9. Strategies to produce Yam foundation
seeds at the Abuja Biofactory
• Low-Hanging-Fruit technologies:-
–Conventional Plant tissue culture
–Temporary Immersion Bioreactor
Technology
–Aeroponics Technology
–Yam Miniset technology
–Somatic embrogenesis
–Vine rooting technology

10. Progress Made Under YIIFSWA
• Year 1 plants are still growing, making them 2
years old!!
• Screen house repaired with shade nets
replaced.
• Biocrops has been backstopped with vines to
replant most of the wells in the aeroponics
facility
• Aeroponic systems has overcome initial heat-
related problems and is now functional

11. Date
cultured
Initial No. of
single
nodes/vessel
Variety After 4
weeks No of
nodes/expla
nt
8 weeks
after
culturing
Replicate
08/12/2015 4 (100
Vessels)
TDa 2014 4 7 28
08/12/2015 4 (15
vessels)
TDr
95/19158
4 6 6
09/12/2015 4 (10
vessels)
TDa 291 3 5 5
09/12/2015 4 (20
vessels)
TDr
89/02665
4 7 28
Tissue Culture

12. Date of
culture
Initial No.
of single
nodes/ve
ssel
Variety After 4
weeks
No of
nodes/e
xplant
8
weeks
after
culturi
ng
Replicate
17/08/2015 4 (10
vessels)
TDa
2014
3 6 24
17/08/2015 4 (6
vessels)
TDr
95/19158
3 6 24
18/08/2015 4 (4
vessel)
TDr
EKPE
2 4 16
17/08/2015 4 (8
vessels)
TDr
89/02665
4 6 24
17/08/2015 4 (6
vessels)
TDa 291 3 6 24
Bioreactor

13. Date
Planted
Source Variety No
Planted
No
surviving
after 1
week
No
surviving
after 2 week
No
surviving
after 4 week
Tuber
weight at
harvest
25/06/2015 Vine cutting TDa 98/01166 25 19 19 19 0
25/06/2015 Vine cutting TDr Amula 38 24 24 24 0
25/06/2015 Vine cutting TDr Alumaco 7 7 7 7 0
16/07/2015 Rooted vine TDa 00/00194 12 12 12 12 0
16/07/2015 Rooted vine TDa 98/01176 13 11 9 9 0
16/07/2015 Rooted vine TDa 95/19158 17 17 17 17 0
21/07/2015 Vine cutting TDr 95/18544 32 25 19 19 0
21/07/2018 Vine cutting TDa 98/01176 10 6 4 4 0
21/07/2015 Vine cutting TDr 95/19177 56 40 31 31 0
27/07/2015 Rooted vine TDr 95/19177 13 13 13 13 0
27/07/2015 Rooted vine TDa 98/01176 16 16 16 16 0
01/09/2015 Rooted
aeroponics vine
TDr 95/18544 11 11 11 11 0
01/09/2015 Rooted
aeroponics vine
TDr 95/19158 14 13 13 13 0
Aeroponics

14. Aeroponics Works!!!

15. Harvested tubers

16. Tubers
Variety/ weight of tuber(grams)
TDr
95/18544
(54 tubers)
TDr
95/19158
(1 tuber)
TDr
95/19177
(8 tubers)
TDr Ekpe
(8 tubers)
TDr Pepa
(11 tubers)
TDa 2014
(9 tubers)
44.59 9.9 4.00 0.5 4.1 0.4
14.19 4.68 0.3 4.4 0.17
9.76 1.28 1.3 6.8 0.45
16.56 0.90 0.6 2.4 0.25
5.37 0.44 0.4 0.8 0.26
6.60 0.43 0.3 1.9 0.38
9.72 0.23 0.3 0.8 0.19
8.34 0.22 0.3 1.6 0.18
7.11 0.8 0.16
6.01 0.5
4.98 0.4
8.21

17. Biocrops Targets
•Biocrops targets to expand its Temporary
Immersion Bioreactor to 1000 vessels by Dec,
2016
•Biocrops targets to plant 1 hectare of quality
declared seeds in 2016 planting season.
•Biocrops targets to cover the entire 1960 wells
in its aeroponics facility by July, 2016.
•These targets should give 10,000 quality
declared seeds by Dec, 2016

18. Key needs
• Licensing by the National Agricultural Seeds
Council!!!
• Training of staff on clean seed technology: viz
virus indexing/expansion of training on
bacteria indexing, somatic embryogenesis
etc.
• Assistance in materials sourcing. Quality
product suppliers
• Generation of demand for yam seeds!
Demand would stimulate commercial
production!

19. Key Request!
A guaranteed market for yam
seedlings:- a purchase agreement for
Yam seedlings!!!!
Biocrops targets to produce up to
200,000 yam seeds/annum.

20. THANK YOU!
.
THANK
YOU!
THANK
YOU!
THANK
YOU!
THANK
YOU!