Indigenous knowledge and in situ conservation of water yam (Dioscorea alata) diversity among the Sentani Ethnic Group, Papua, Indonesia

Nikmatullah M, Zuhud EAM, Syaufina L, Andarwulan N, Hidayat S, Ondikeleuw M, Ibo LK, Marsandi F, Cahyaningsih R, Purwanto Y, Prabawardani S, Al Manar P, Suharno. 2026. Indigenous knowledge and in situ conservation of water yam (Dioscorea alata) diversity among the Sentani Ethnic Group, Papua, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 9 (2): y090202. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjethnobiol/y090202. Papua is known for its diverse local accessions of water yam (Dioscorea alata), which have long been a staple food for the Sentani Ethnic Group. However, the diversity of these accessions and the associated indigenous knowledge regarding their characteristics of tubers and cultivation have not been systematically documented. Local knowledge plays a crucial role in maintaining the variety of accessions as genetic resources and cultural values. Therefore, this study aimed to document the diversity, characteristics of tubers, classification, and cultivation practices of water yam local accessions based on the indigenous knowledge of the Sentani Ethnic Group. Data collection on the variety of accessions was conducted using an exploratory method in Ayapo, Puay, and Simporo Villages. Data on local knowledge were collected using participatory observation with an ethnobotanical approach and semi-structured interviews with 30 key informants in each village. Key informants were selected using snowball sampling. Voucher specimens representing identified accessions were deposited at the Herbarium Bogoriense (BO), National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia. Based on local knowledge, a total of sixteen water yam local accessions are recognized by the Sentani Ethnic Group, of which twelve are still found with their tubers, while the remaining four were rare; one accession (Ponggou) were observed in limited numbers (2 tubers) and collected as a voucher, and three accessions (Areli, Pujolo, Olokhoy) were not found during field surveys and are reported as rare. There are seven stages in cultivating local accessions of water yam. The Sentani Ethnic Group classifies the local name of each water yam accession based on the distinctive morphological and sensory characteristics of its tubers. This study demonstrates that indigenous knowledge and traditional agricultural practices play a central role in the in situ conservation of water yam diversity in Papua and should be systematically documented and integrated into sustainable management strategies.