SummaryLusala (Dioscorea hirtifloraBenth. subsp.pedicellataMilne-Redh) is an important wild edible tuber foraged widely from natural forests in Southern Zambia, but at risk from overharvesting and deforestation. Its propagation was investigated in glasshouse studies to explore potential domestication and futurein situandex situgenetic resources conservation. Almost all tubers planted with visible shoot buds produced vines, with no effect of tuber size on vine emergence or tuber yield. Few tubers without visible shoot buds at planting produced vines, but those that did not re-tuberized. The progeny provided good vine emergence and similar tuber yield, with vines from tubers produced by re-tuberization being more vigorous. Re-tuberization in the absence of vine emergence also occurred in other experiments. Minisetts cut from the proximal end of tubers provided better vine emergence (with more from 20-mm than 10-mm-long sections) and greater tuber yield than mid- or distal minisetts. Nodal stem cuttings rooted well, vined, and provided small tubers. This study shows that lusala can be propagated successfully from tubers, minisetts, nodal vine cuttings, or mini-tubers from nodal vine cuttings, for genetic resources conservation and/or domestication. Domestication is likely to be hampered by the long period required for vines to emerge and establish. More sustainable foraging, including re-planting in natural forests, is recommended to balance consumption of lusala in the region and promote its long-term conservation.

中文翻译：

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野生山药 lusala (Dioscorea hirtiflora) 的繁殖、原地保护和潜在的驯化

摘要卢萨拉 (薯蓣本斯。亚种花梗Milne-Redh) 是一种重要的野生食用块茎，广泛从赞比亚南部的天然森林中觅食，但面临过度采伐和森林砍伐的风险。在温室研究中对其传播进行了调查，以探索潜在的驯化和未来原位和异地遗传资源保护。几乎所有种植有可见芽芽的块茎都长出了藤蔓，块茎大小对藤蔓出苗或块茎产量没有影响。很少有在种植时没有可见芽芽的块茎产生藤蔓，但那些没有重新块茎的块茎。后代提供了良好的藤蔓出苗和相似的块茎产量，来自通过再块茎化产生的块茎的藤蔓更加旺盛。在其他实验中也发生了在没有藤蔓出现的情况下的重新块茎化。从块茎近端切下的小块茎提供了更好的藤蔓出苗（20 毫米长的部分比 10 毫米长的部分更多）和比中部或远端小块茎更高的块茎产量。节茎插条生根良好，葡萄藤蔓，并提供小块茎。这项研究表明，lusala 可以从块茎、小叶、节段藤蔓扦插中成功繁殖，或从节段藤蔓扦插中提取的微型块茎，用于遗传资源保护和/或驯化。葡萄藤出现和建立所需的长时间可能会阻碍驯化。建议采取更可持续的觅食方式，包括在天然林中重新种植，以平衡该地区卢萨拉的消费并促进其长期保护。