Commercial Yam Tuber (Dioscorea spp.) Handling during the Harvest and Post-Harvest Storage

Abstract

Context: The losses of yam tubers during the crop and their storage can be significant, but not exists an appropriate handling of these stages. Objective: The investigation had as objective to reduce the losses of commercial tubers of yam (Dioscorea spp.) by means of an appropriate gestion during harvest and postharvest crop was carried out. Methods: The incidence of the main pest and disease of commercial tubers of yam (Dioscorea spp.) during the moment of the harvest crop and its answer during postharvest storage to ambient temperature with indirect solar light in a local clean and ventilated content inside loophole sacks was evaluated. After 0, 30 and 60 days of postharvest storage morphological and agronomic indicators were determined. Through the survey method organoleptic test of commercial tubers of yam (Dioscorea spp.) to 0 and 60 days of storage was analyzed. Results: The obtained results demonstrated as main diseases of commercial tubers of yam during the harvest crop moment to Botryodiplodia theobromae, Penicillium spp. and Aspergillus flavus Link. For all the evaluated clones in measure the spends time of storage up to 60 days it diminishes the percentage of fresh mass of tuber and that of dry mass increases. The satisfactory storage of the commercial tubers of yam of D. alata clones Creole, Chinese White, Horse, Caraqueño and D. esculenta clone Potato in loophole sacks up to 60 days in a ventilated local, clean and with indirect solar light to ambient temperature. The organoleptic tests evidenced the Chinese White was the more accepted by the panelists. Conclusions: A measuresplan for the gestion of commercial tubers of Dioscorea spp. during harvest and postharvest crop was elaborated.