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:

1. assess the genetic diversity and population structure of D. dumetorum in Cameroon using morphological and molecular markers and ploidy level
2. identify genes which are expressed among D. dumetorum accessions during storage through RNA-seq
3. 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.