Farmers’ knowledge and perception of postharvest physiological deterioration in cassava storage roots in Ghana

Abstract

Background: In spite of the essential role of cassava in ensuring household food security and employment for most rural farm households, postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) of the roots which is serious abiotic stress in cassava renders the roots unmarketable, thereby reducing the economic value of the crop. This paper investigates farmers' knowledge and perception of PPD in the storage roots of cassava among smallholders in Ghana. Methods:A participatory rural appraisal and a formal survey involving 137 farmers across four agro-ecological zones were conducted using focus group discussion and semi-structured questionnaires, respectively. With the appropriate perception indices, farmers' perceptions of each PPD attribute were assessed by the use of a 5-point Likert scale. The Kendall's coefficient of concordance was used further to rank identified cassava production constraints. Results:The result shows that a significant number of farmers were aware of PPD and the corresponding changes in the roots. It was also confirmed that PPD commences from 2 to 3 days after harvest. Farmers perceived PPD to be caused by pathogens, sunlight, mechanical injuries during harvesting and atmospheric air. The results further indicated that farmers have in-depth knowledge of PPD in cassava. The findings suggest the importance of PPD which is ranked as one of the major constraints in cassava production with about 40% agreement among the farmers. Storing of cassava roots in polythene and jute sacks were found to delay PPD for a few days. Conclusion:There is the need to concert cassava research and development efforts to tap into, and investigate further the adaptability and sustainability of these storage practices and methods to minimize both PPD and deterioration of cassava roots during storage.

Exploring Farmers’ Knowledge and Approaches for Reducing Post-Harvest Physiological Deterioration of Cassava Roots in Malawi

“…PPD is the primary cause for post-harvest deterioration in cassava. The results are in consonance with research results by [23] who reported PPD as one of the major post-harvest constraints for cassava in Ghana. This is the case because currently, there is no effective control measure for PPD for flesh cassava roots apart from preventive approaches aimed at delaying on-set and development of PPD [16].…”

“…They further pointed out that high temperatures and sunny conditions favoured the development of PPD. Knowledge of these factors that cause and influence development of PPD is crucial among farmers as it guides the farmers on local preventative methods that work by modifying the environmental conditions to extend shelf-life of fresh cassava roots [23].…”

“…Complete prevention of PPD requires that cassava roots be consumed or processed immediately after harvest [23]. However, this is only practical on a small scale but not commercially.…”

Causes Of Cassava Post-Harvest Losses Among Farmers In Imo State, Nigeria

“…Pest and disease attack is also a very serious cause of cassava post-harvest losses faced that can reduce the nutritional quality of cassava. According to Prempeh et al (2017), pest and diseases (pathogens) were among the main causes of post physiological deterioration in cassava as perceived by the farmers…”

Postharvest Storage Techniques for Cassava Roots in Ghana- A Review

“…Cassava roots rot within 2-3 days after being unearthed as the produce is of very high moisture content [11]. A recent survey of farmers in Ghana detailed cassava takes an average of 3 days for the roots to decay after harvest [16]. The rapid deterioration consequentially affects marketing and eating quality.…”