Abstract Background Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is the staple food of many populations in the intertropical zone, where it is grown. The lack of phenotyping methods for tuber quality has hindered the adoption of new genotypes from breeding programs. Recently, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used as a reliable tool to characterize the chemical...

Abstract Background Variability in sugar content between raw and cooked sweetpotato storage roots impact nutritional and dietary importance with implications for consumer preference. High-throughput phenotyping is required to breed varieties that satisfy consumer preferences. Results Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration curves...

Abstract BACKGROUND Food quality traits related to the genetics of yam influence the acceptability for its consumption. This study aimed at identifying genetic factors underlying sensory and textural quality attributes of boiled and pounded yam, the two dominant food products from white Guinea yam. RESULTS A genome-wide association study (GWAS)...

Abstract BACKGROUND Starch, dry matter content (DMC), proteins, and sugars are among the major influences on yam tuber quality. Genetic improvement programs need simple, rapid, and low-cost tools to screen large populations. The objectives of this work were, using a quantitative trait loci mapping approach (QTL) on two diploid full-sib segregating...

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Volume 104, Issue 8, Page 4473-4480, June 2024.

Abstract BACKGROUND Little information is available on α- and β-amylase activity and their associations with starch, sugars and other culinary qualities in sweetpotato. The present study aimed to assess sweetpotato storage root α- and β-amylase activity in relation to starch, sugars, β-carotene content and storage root flesh color. RESULTS α- and...