Diagnostic study of the conservation of yam tubers varieties in four communes of the Abidjan district (Côte d'Ivoire)

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) occupies an important place in the diet of the populations of Cote d'Ivoire. However, during storage, significant losses due to fungi are observed. The objective of this work was to know if traders are aware of the difficulties they encounter during the storage of yam tubers. To do this, a survey was conducted in four communes in the District of Abidjan. It was found that more than 94% of traders encounter enormous difficulties, particularly rotting during the storage of yams before sale. This mainly soft rot (93.75%) causes the loss of 10 to 20% of stocks according to 56.25% of traders. Although 87.5% of the traders felt they knew the causes of the rots, fungi were not mentioned at all. This study is a preliminary study that could be a database for a possible study on the identification and control of these fungi responsible for post-harvest rots.