Devereau, A. (1994) Tropical sweet potato storage: A literature review. Technical Report. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham, UK.

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Abstract

Sweet potato is grown in many countries and is a staple crop in some. The roots are highly perishable and storage is avoided in the tropics if possible. Storage methods for temperate countries have been developed but storage under tropical conditions has received less attention. Losses during storage may be physical, physiological or pathological, or may be caused by pests. For optimum storage the roots should be cured at 27 - 33'C and 85 - 95% relative humidity for 4 - 10 days then stored at 12 - 16'C and 85 - 90% relative humidity. Ventilation is needed during curing and storage. Maximum storage periods of five months to one year are reported under optimum conditions, depending on the cultivar. Tropical storage methods reviewed include pit storage, clamp or mound storage and huts and buildings (indoor) storage. In all cases losses were usually high during storage and are reported as mainly physiological, resulting from high temperatures and low relative humidity, though pathological losses, i.e. rotting, were also significant in some cases. There are a number of examples of each method however which hold potential for further development into appropriate storage methods for tropical countries. Experimentation with all three methods is recommended for a given location as the effects of climate and sweet potato variety, and lack of information on the conditions during storage by the three methods, make choice of a single best method difficult.

Item Type:	Monograph (Technical Report)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sweet potato, storage, tropical, clamps, pit storage, tropical storage, review
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Food & Markets Department
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	27 Nov 2019 12:22
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/13793

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