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May 11, 2025Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Effectiveness of Integrating Botanical Ash in an Underground Clay-Composite Storage on the Rate of Mass Loss (Decay) and Proximate Composition Profile of Stored Colocasia Esculenta
Abstract
The investigation analysis of the effectiveness of using botanical ash in an underground claycomposite storage on the rate of mass loss (decay) and the proximate composition profile of stored Colocasia esculenta was carried out using standard methods. According to the results, the lowest percentage decrease in cocoyam weight was observed in walls integrated with iroko and palm kernel ash. This tends to suggest that Iroko tree bark (I) and palm kernel shell ranked best among the plant materials for cocoyam storage, having shown a great tendency in the level of weight retention and weight loss reduction of cocoyam. Cocoyam stored in pits with walls integrated with palm nut shell (P) ash has the highest drop in percentage crude protein when compared with a value of 21.3%, while Iroko tree bark (I) showed the least percentage decrease in crude protein content of stored cocoyam. Cocoyam stored in pits with walls integrated with Iroko tree bark (I) showed no drop (0%) in percentage ash, while Groose grass (G1) showed the highest drop of about 18.9% as compared with the control. The moisture and carbohydrate contents of stored cocoyam increased while crude protein, crude fibre, and fat progressively decreased as storage months increased. Statistical variations (p<0.05) existed across the different types of plants (leaves) utilized for the cocoyam storage for weight loss.
