Enhancing the shelf life of fresh cassava roots through combination of the post-harvest preservation methods in nagongera town council, tororo district
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Busitema University
Abstract
Introduction This research aimed to address the persistent challenge of post-harvest losses in cassava production within Nagongera Town Council, Tororo District. Despite the key role cassava plays in the local economy and nutrition, the prevalence of post-harvest losses has emerged as a significant obstacle within the Nagongera area based on vivid observance from the nearby cassava growers and sellers, affecting both food security and economic stability. The primary objective of this research was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a combination of post-harvest preservation methods tailored to fresh cassava roots in this specific geographical context. Methods The technical evaluation involved rigorous experimental trials on two cassava varieties which are locally called Narocus and Pumba to assess the efficacy of a combination of the two mostly used preservation methods that’s to say; use of Simple bag material and Wetting the Cassava Roots. Anticipated outcomes included the identification of the most effective preservation methods for fresh cassava roots, a detailed understanding of their economic viability. The experimentation was done for a period of ten days, of which the first five days were for the individual cassava preservation methods that is storage in the bag material and wetting, this was followed by combination of the preservation methods; in the first case, the cassava which were in the bag material were transferred to the trays for wetting and vice versa. In the entire study, results on attributes like weight, texture, physical appearance of the two cassava varieties Narocus and Pumba for the individual and combined preservation methods were obtained and tabulated. Conclusion Based on the results, the sequential combination of simple bag storage method of cassava preservation followed by wetting was the most effective method as compared to sequential combination of wetting followed by simple bag material method of preservation. Keywords: Cassava, Preservation, Storage, shelf life.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Nabaya Mazaki, J. (2024). Enhancing the shelf life of fresh cassava roots through combination of the post-harvest preservation methods in Nagongera Town Council, Tororo District [Undergraduate, Research Report]. Busitema University.