Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is an important tuber crop consumed globally. However, stable yam production faces challenges from a variety of diseases caused by fungi, nematodes, viruses, and bacteria. Prominent diseases such as anthracnose, leaf spot, yam wilt, dry rot, and crazy root syndrome, currently pose serious threats to yam yields. These diseases not only result in quality degradation but also cause great economic losses. This review summarizes the damages, symptoms, causal agents, and epidemic factors of major yam diseases. It also outlines a comprehensive disease control strategy that includes the use of resistant varieties, proper crop rotation, sanitation measures, and the application of agrochemicals and biocontrol agents. Additionally, this review addresses future perspectives on risk factors and knowledge gaps, aiming to serve as a reference for in-depth research into advanced disease monitoring and control technologies for yams.

Yams, belonging to Dioscorea species, are abundant in nutrients and bioactive compounds, contributing to their swiftly expanding share in the global market. Over the past 20 years, worldwide production of yams has seen a twofold increase. Particularly in Africa, yams are a staple food for millions, significantly contributing to food security and sustenance. The development of omics technologies provides an effective means for mining functional genes and exploring related molecular mechanisms in yams. This review summarizes the current research progress on the yam genome, plastome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome, to facilitate further genetic research and molecular breeding in yams.