Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 October 2008
Irrespective of the size of seed yam used, removal of mother tubers (‘milking’) from yam stands after 4 weeks of growth drastically reduced final yield, but removal after 7 weeks or more did not affect yields of individual plants of Dioscorea rotundata. If yam stands are milked after 4 weeks and the milked tuber replanted, the cumulative yield from both milked and replanted stands was significantly lower than from the control plants. However, milking and replanting mother tubers after 7 weeks or more gave cumulative yields which did not differ from the control.