Review on tropical root and tuber crops. I. Storage methods and quality changes.

The root tuber crops, including cassava, sweet potato, yams, and aroids, enjoy considerable importance as a vegetable, staple food, or raw material for small-scale industries at a global level, particularly in the less developed tropical countries. The perishability and postharvest loses of root and tuber crops are the major constraints in the utilization of these crops. Several simple, low-cost traditional methods are being followed by farmers in different parts of the world to store different root and tuber crops in the fresh state. An account of different storage practices and constraints is reviewed in this article. Some of these methods have been studied and evaluated by different research workers. Several modern techniques, including refrigerated cold storage, freezing, chemical treatments, wax coating, and irradiation, for storing fresh tropical tubers are also reviewed. The pre- and postharvest factors to be considered for postharvest storage of different root and tuber crops are incorporated into the review.