Projects

PhyloYam (2017) - Clarifying the phylogenic relationships of wild and cultivated yam species (Dioscorea sp.) in West Africa - Funded by Agropolis Fondation (France)

Project leader: N Scarcelli

Scientists involved from our team : N Scarcelli, T Couvreur

Yam is a major crop in many tropical countries, especially in West Africa. The genus Dioscorea is very species rich, with around 600 species, but no comprehensive phylogeny is available. A better understanding of the main cultivated yam species, Dioscorea rotundata, requires clarifying the phylogenetic position of the plant among the African wild species. Identifying closely related species to the main cultivated yam species will help understand its domestication and will provide an important source to explore novel potential useful genetic diversity of this crop wild complex.

The aim of this project is the larification of the phylogenetic relationships between West African yam species.

Associated publications:

Magwé-Tindo J, Wieringa JJ, Sonké B, Zapfack L, Vigouroux Y, Couvreur TLP, Scarcelli N (2019) Complete plastome sequences of 14 African yam species (Dioscorea spp.). Mitochondrial DNA part B 4(1): 74-76

Magwé-Tindo J, Wieringa JJ, Sonké B, Zapfack L, Vigouroux Y, Couvreur TLP, Scarcelli N (2018) Guinea yam (Dioscorea spp.) wild relatives identified using whole plastome phylogenetic analyses. Taxon 67(5):905-915