A new agricultural technology being developed in Jamaica could significantly increase the availability of quality planting material for the country’s yam farmers.

The single-node vine-cutting technology uses leaf nodes from yam plants to produce healthy plantlets for field planting. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the technique could potentially multiply planting material by up to 300 times from a single plant.

The technology could also help address shortages of quality yam seed while allowing farmers to keep more of their harvested yam for sale rather than using edible tubers as planting material.

Agriculture officials say the approach uses parts of the plant that are commonly discarded, turning them into a potential source of new planting material.

The development could strengthen Jamaica’s yam production system by improving access to planting material and supporting farmers seeking more efficient propagation methods.