International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria.
Texas A & M University, College Station, USA.
J Sci Food Agric. 2024 Jun;104(8):4758-4769. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.13079. Epub 2024 Feb 17.
Cassava processing is a crucial source of livelihood for rural farmers and processors in Nigeria and Cameroon. This study investigated the varietal effect on the processing productivity of women farmer processors within their working environment and compared this with the food product quality as evaluated by the processors and the field yield. Field trials were established in Nigeria (Benue and Osun state) and Cameroon (Littoral region). Eight cassava genotypes were evaluated. These eight varieties included newly bred genotypes, commercial checks and varieties provided and preferred by the processors. The roots of these genotypes were harvested and processed into gari and eba by processors. The time of each processing step was recorded. Processors assessed the quality of the roots and food products using pairwise ranking.
In the field trials in Cameroon and Nigeria (Benue state), the newly bred genotypes showed superior performance in terms of dry matter content and fresh and dry yield. During processing, genotypes showed significant variation for most assessed parameters in both countries. Some newly bred varieties exhibited lower productivity that can make them more prone to drudgery than the local commercial checks and the varieties provided and preferred by the processors. Newly bred varieties were mostly ranked higher or equal to processors' preferred varieties concerning fresh root and food product quality. In the Cameroon location there were significant varietal differences in processing productivity and drudgery index which suggest that the particular processing methods there - such as pressing methods and fermentation time - cause these varietal differences to matter more.
The varieties that were tested were observed to differ in yield, product quality, processing productivity, and potential drudgery levels. Some breeders' germplasms displayed a combination of increased yields and good product quality and good processor productivity. Those varieties that showed low processor productivity should be avoided during selection to avoid increased labour burden and associated drudgery of women processors. Further research is recommended to enhance food product color, latent culinary qualities, and processing productivity of newly bred varieties to improve acceptability and reduce processing drudgery for women. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
木薯加工是尼日利亚和喀麦隆农村农民和加工者的重要生计来源。本研究调查了品种对女性农民加工者在工作环境中的加工生产力的影响，并将其与加工者评估的食品质量和田间产量进行了比较。田间试验分别在尼日利亚（贝努埃州和奥孙州）和喀麦隆（滨海区）进行。评估了 8 个木薯基因型。这些品种包括新育成的基因型、商业对照品种以及加工者提供和偏好的品种。从这些基因型的根中收获并加工成 gari 和 eba。记录每个加工步骤的时间。加工者使用成对排序评估根和食品的质量。
在喀麦隆和尼日利亚（贝努埃州）的田间试验中，新育成的基因型在干物质含量以及新鲜和干产量方面表现出优异的表现。在加工过程中，基因型在两个国家的大多数评估参数上均表现出显著差异。一些新育成的品种表现出较低的生产力，这可能使它们比当地的商业对照品种和加工者提供和偏好的品种更容易劳累。新育成的品种在新鲜根和食品产品质量方面大多被评为高于或等于加工者偏好的品种。在喀麦隆的试验点，加工生产力和劳累指数存在显著的品种差异，这表明特定的加工方法（如压榨方法和发酵时间）导致了这些品种差异更加显著。
测试的品种在产量、产品质量、加工生产力和潜在劳累水平方面存在差异。一些育成品种表现出增加产量和良好产品质量以及良好加工生产力的结合。那些表现出低加工生产力的品种在选择时应避免，以避免增加妇女加工者的劳动负担和相关劳累。建议进一步研究以提高新育成品种的食品产品颜色、潜在烹饪品质和加工生产力，以提高可接受性并减少妇女的加工劳累。© 2023 作者。《食品科学杂志》由 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 代表化学工业协会出版。
