Ethno-Botanical Study of Water Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) Tubers in Storage in the South-Eastern Nigeria

Water yam tubers are staple food consumed in South-Eastern Nigeria. This investigation focused on indigenous knowledge and usage of water yam tubers in South-Eastern Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was designed and administered to obtain crucial information from the respondents within the study area. Five South-Eastern States of Nigeria namely; Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States were randomly surveyed. Descriptive statistics were adopted and relationships among some variables were checked with percentage error bars in MS EXCEL version 2007. Six hundred questionnaires successfully retrieved were responded to. The results were analyzed by gender, age groups and locations. The study revealed that 62% of the respondents were aware of water yam cultivation, 41% grew water yam tubers as food because of its nutritional importance while 94% believed that water yam had medicinal value. The findings from the study will be used as basis for further research on emerging indigenous practices and sustainability impact.