OKOYOMON EHIMHEN EUGENE

The objective of this study is to determine the physiochemical composition and microbiological analysis to determine the storability of Sweet potato tubers, sold at New Benin Market, Edo state. Two cream skinned sweet potato tubers were obtained at New Benin Market, Edo state and stored in a laboratory for a period of time . In the laboratory, physiochemical tests were conducted on the potato samples to determine the moisture content, dry matter content, acidity, titratable acidity, and vitamin content. Microbiological evaluation of the sweet potato tubers was conducted in the laboratory, using laboratory techniques of isolating fungi, this involves the preparation of PDA, the physiochemical and microbiological assessment was carried out on one of the potato tubers the day it was obtained and the results was used as control for the experiment ,after 40 days the same physiological and microbiological tests were conducted on the stored sweet potato tuber in the laboratory. There was a slight decline in the physiochemical composition of the sweet potato tuber after 40 days of storage. The microbiological test confirmed the presence of spoilage inducing fungi on the sweet potato tuber after 40 days of storage, the occurrence of these fungi confirmed that the potato tuber stored has undergone spoilage. Through this research it was determined that sweet potato tubers exhibit a good storage capacity, as evidenced by the minimal variance in their physiochemical composition even after a 40-day storage period.