Studies on Post Harvest Technology (Pht) Preservation of Yams (Dioscrea spp) at Ambient Conditions on Soil Types
Abstract
The study developed post harvest technology (PHT) for preservation of yams (Dioscrea spp) at ambient conditions on soil types. Two hundred and forty tubers were used and the experimental design for the evaluation of PTH was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. The data gathered were subjected to statistical analysis. The result showed that soil types significantly influenced the deterioration rate of yam tubers over the storage durations (61, 120, and 180 days). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant effect of soil types on weight loss (F = 3.94, p = 0.022), with clay loam exhibiting the highest deterioration, followed by silty loam, while sandy loam maintained the lowest rates of spoilage. Duration of storage also had a highly significant effect on weight loss (F = 11.78, p = 0.000), indicating that longer storage increased the likelihood of tuber deterioration. In contrast, sandy loam preserved tuber integrity for a longer period, making it more suitable for underground yam storage. ANOVA results confirmed that soil type (F = 4.15, p = 0.018) and duration (F = 9.76, p = 0.000) significantly influenced rot severity, while their interaction (F = 2.54, p = 0.050) was marginally significant. Post-Harvest analysis using Tukey HSD revealed significant differences between clay loam and silty loam (p < 0.05) in both rot severity and sprouting rate. Clay loam exhibited poor shelf-life indicators, especially by 180 days, with over 40% average weight loss, high rot scores, and early sprouting. Therefore, farmers should adopt post harvest technology (PHT) for yam tuber storage on sandy soil.
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