Yams are a staple food for millions of people in the tropics. Dioscorea dumetorum has the highest nutrient value among other yam species commonly grown and consumed. Additionally, it contains a novel bio-active compound dioscoretine, used advantageously as a hypoglycemic agent in anti-diabetic medications. Despite of these properties, the storage ability of this yam is restricted by severe post-harvest hardening of the tubers, which starts within 24 h after harvest and renders them inedible.
The main objective of the PhD project is to investigate the genetic basis of this post-harvest hardening phenomenon in D. dumetorum. Specifically, we will:
- assess the genetic diversity and population structure of D. dumetorum in Cameroon using morphological and molecular markers and ploidy level
- identify genes which are expressed among D. dumetorum accessions during storage through RNA-seq
- initiate association mapping of candidate genes involved in the post-harvest hardening phenomenon of tuber populations of D. dumetorum. At the end of this study, we expect to provide the basis for targeted molecular breeding of post-harvest hardening avoidance.
