Yams are tuber crops essential for food security in West Africa. They can also be a significant source of income for the actors involved in the yam chain value (producers, traders, processors) as their tubers are highly appreciated by urban populations. They are also a very important part of West African culture and are present in many rituals and ceremonies. Traditionally yams are grown without input as the first crop after long-term fallow or natural vegetation in slash and burn systems. However, tuber productivity of traditional cropping systems is much lower than the yield potential. One of the reasons explaining this low productivity and the fact that yams have to be planted on new land is the high level of soil fertility required by these plants and its rapid decrease when the plot is cropped with yams. Given the high prevalence of food insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation in West Africa, measures to improve the soil fertility in yam cropping systems should be developed and implemented as soon as possible.
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