Investigation of Vibration Technique To Control Physical Properties of Yam Tubers (Dioscorea rotundata Poir) uring Storage

Yam tubers lose weight during storage and prolonged storage can reduce tuber quality and quantity. This study investigated the application of vibration techniques for the control of the physical properties of yam tubers during storage. Measurements were conducted on the physical properties of the tubers: weight loss, shrinkage of the middle diameter, shrinkage of the length, top and bottom diameter, on 108 tubers treated and 32 tubers untreated (control). The factors of the experimental design were three levels of vibration frequencies, i.e. low (1 – 5 Hz), medium (60 – 100 Hz) and high (150 – 200 Hz), amplitudes of low (5 mm), medium (10 mm) and high (20 mm), and durations of low (5 minutes), medium (10 minutes) and high (15 minutes). Tuber weights were classified as small (0.1 – 2.9 kg) and large (3.0 – 5.0 kg). The tubers were stored for ten weeks after vibration, and their physical properties were measured every week during the storage period. Our study demonstrated that as the frequency, amplitude, and duration of vibration increase, the physical properties of yam tubers decrease significantly in both tuber classes. The study shows that mechanical vibration can slow down the changes in the physical properties of the yam tuber during storage

Application of Vibration Technique for the Control of Physical Properties of Yam (Dioscorea Spp.) Sprouts During Storage in Funaab, Nigeria Environment

Early sprouting of yam tuber is a typical problem during storage resulting into weight losses, deterioration, shrinkage and reduction in quality. This research work therefore carried out investigation on the application of vibration technique for the control of physical properties of yam (Dioscorea spp.) sprouts during storage in FUNAAB, Nigeria environment. The physical properties (length, number and weight of sprout, number of leaves and weight of roots) of the yam sprouts were determined for 140 white yam tubers. The yam tubers were divided into 108 experiment and 32 as control. The factors of the experimental design examined were frequency, amplitude and time of vibration of low (1 – 5 Hz, 5 mm and 3 minutes), medium (60 – 100 Hz, 10 mm and 10 minutes) and high (150 – 200 Hz, 20 mm and 15 minutes) respectively; weight of yam tuber of two levels of small (0.1 – 2.9 kg) and big (3.0 – 5.0 kg) were also considered. The tubers were stored for ten weeks after vibration, the physical properties of the yam sprouts were observed and records were taken every week. All the physical properties of yam sprouts examined followed the same trend. It was discovered that as the frequency, amplitude and time of vibration were increasing, the physical properties of the yam sprouts studied were decreasing significantly at p \u3c 0.05 for both weight of yams between 0.1 – 2.9 kg and between 3.0 – 5.0 kg. The results revealed that mechanical vibration significantly help in slowing down sprouting in yam tubers