Comparison of Two Storage Structures for the Storage of Sweet Potato Tuberous Roots in the Coastal Savannah Zone of Ghana

Abstract

The storage of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is confronted with a myriad of post harvest challenges resulting in heavy losses during marketing and storage in tropical Africa. In this study two storage structures were evaluated and compared for the storage of two sweet potato varieties. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used and the roots were stored for twelve (12) weeks in both storage structures. The two storage structures improved the shelf life of sweet potato over 8 weeks. However, after 10 weeks of storage, the Purpose-Built Evaporative Cooling Barn (PBECB) stored sweet potato roots better than Modified Pit Storage Structure (MPSS). The roots stored in the PBECB showed 66% wholesomeness, 53% weevil damage, 3.8% shrinkage, 30% weight loss, 58% sprouting and 52% decay compared with 60% wholesomeness, 53% weevil damage, 4.1% shrinkage, 38% weight loss, 74% sprouting and 60% decay of roots stored in the MPSS. TIS 2 sweet potato variety stored better than Ukerewe variety in both structures. TIS 2 sweet potato stored for 3 months in the PBECB with 76% wholesomeness, 12% weight loss, 29% decay and 3.4% shrinkage