Fungi associated with peels of post harvest yams (dioscorea spp.) in storage

Abstract

Fungi on surface of three cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) and a cultivar of water yam (D. alata L.) were investigated. The objective of the study is to show vertical distribution (Head, middle and tail regions) of mycoflora of yam surface. The mycoflora consisted principally of Aspergillus niger Van Tiegh, Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat, Trichoderma sp., Rhizopus sp., Fusarium solani (Mart) Sacc, Choanephora cucurbitarum (Berk and Fav.) Thaxt, Mucor sp. and Penicillium oxalicum Currie and Thom in that order of their frequency of occurrence. The head region showed significant difference in occurrence of fungi (p < 05) more than the middle and tail regions. The frequency of occurrence of A. niger and B. theobromae was considerable in all the cultivars except in water yam where the occurrence of A. niger was relatively sparse. The implication of tuber surface mycoflora on the post harvest storage of yams is discussed.

Key words: yam, Peel, tuber surface, mycoflora


(Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: 2002 9(1): 19-24)