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Post‐harvest physiological deterioration in several cassava genotypes over sequential harvests and effect of pruning prior to harvest
Author(s) -
Luna Jorge,
Dufour Dominique,
Tran Thierry,
Pizarro Mónica,
Calle Fernando,
García Domínguez Moralba,
Hurtado Iván M.,
Sánchez Teresa,
Ceballos Hernán
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of food science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.831
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1365-2621
pISSN - 0950-5423
DOI - 10.1111/ijfs.14711
Subject(s) - scopoletin , pruning , horticulture , sowing , dry matter , postharvest , biology , botany , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Cassava roots have a short shelf life due to a process known as post‐harvest phyisological deterioration (PPD). Roots need to be consumed or processed no more than 3 days after harvest. PPD results in large losses that affect mostly women selling roots in fresh markets of sub‐saharan Africa. Althoug PPD is a very important problem, little progress has been made overcoming it. This is in part because of the complexities related to PPD. Several metabolic processes are trigered as soon as roots are harvested and have been linked to PPD. Environmental conditions, particularly at harvest time, have a strong impact as well. The graph depicts PPD in four different varieties harvested at many different times during a two years period. It is clear that genetic factors and harvesting time strongly influence PPD. Our research analizes the relationship between PPD, dry matter content (DMC), a key factor defining the price of cassava roots and scopoletin content (from harvest through seven days of storage). Not a single model can explain PPD, confirming the complexity of the problem. Some trends, however have been found. Pruning plants one or two weeks before harvest reduce DMC and PPD. Chemical tretreatment of plants before harvest with products that inhibit respiration may be a feasible approach to reduce PPD but may affect cooking quality of the roots.