Storage diseases of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata, Poir): causes, varietal susceptibility and control

Abstract

Decay in three white yam varieties in Ghana ("Araba", "Asana" and "Puna") stored for seven months were caused by Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, A. oryzae, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium culmorum, F. moniliforme, F. oxysporum, Penicillium brevi-compactum, Penicillium sp., Rhizopus stolonifer, and Erwinia sp. After seven months of storage, "Araba" had a significantly lower (p = 0.05) rotting percentage of 22.5% when compared with Asana (75.0%) and Puna (85.0%). In studies aimed at controlling rot on bruised yams over a ten week period, lime was found to be more effective than neem wood-ash (p = 0.005) in suppressing decay in the three white yam varieties.



JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 1 Number 3, July (1999) pp. 45-52