Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical and sensory acceptability of sweet potato in Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The effect of different storage conditions (pit, sack, wooden box and clump) on the physico-chemical and sensory acceptability of sweet potatoes was conducted. Sweet potatoes were stored in the four storage conditions and untreated sweet potatoes (control) were used for this study. In four storage conditions, 10 kg of freshly harvested sweet potatoes were stored until the end of four storage months. Per cent of weight loss, sprouting, and spoilage of sweet potatoes data were collected from storage conditions in monthly intervals. All samples were analyzed for physic-chemical properties at Hawassa University, Food Chemistry and Food Microbiology Laboratory, and sensory acceptability was evaluated by using untrained 45 panellists at the end of the storage period. Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used for storage conditions with three replication. The mean scores of appearance, taste, flavour, smell, and texture of sweet potato in storage conditions at the end of four months and untreated sweet potatoes had not shown significant difference except for overall acceptability of sweet potato. The mean scores of moisture and protein of sweet potato samples had not shown significant (p<0.05) differences in all storage conditions and untreated sweet potatoes. The pit storage scored the highest mean of moisture (71.30), ash (1.53), protein (6.73), fat (4.66) and fiber (1.76) than other storage conditions but less than untreated sweet potato except for fiber content of pit storage. The least mean per cent of weight loss (26.45), sprouting (9.72), and spoilage (2.87) of sweet potato was recorded at pit storage than in other storage conditions at the end of the fourth month. It was concluded that pit is storage preferable to other storage conditions based on weight loss, sprouting, spoilage, better physic-chemical and sensory acceptability, and recommended to farmers for storing sweet potatoes. Further study will be needed on the microbial quality of sweet potatoes in different storage conditions during storage periods.