TY - JOUR AU - Otusanya, M. O. PY - 2021/06/12 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Role of Nitrogen and Iron in Tuber Phenol Content for Resistance to Infection and Better Storability in Bounty-Fertilized Dioscorea Rotundata Variety Oniyere JF - European Journal of Applied Sciences JA - EJAS VL - 9 IS - 3 SE - Articles DO - 10.14738/aivp.93.10207 UR - https://journals.scholarpublishing.org/index.php/AIVP/article/view/10207 SP - 127-132 AB - <p>The role of nitrogen and iron in promoting phenol with its antimicrobial properties for disease resistance with implication of better storability of yam tubers is indicated in <em>Dioscorea</em> <em>rotundata</em> variety Oniyere fertilized with an 8-mineral component fertilizer namely Bounty, in this study. The experiment was arranged in RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) with 3 treatments and 3 replicates. The treatment was bounty fertilizer at the rate 0, 0.6 &nbsp;and 1.2 ml l<sup>-1</sup> applied at 3MAP (months after planting), Tubers were harvested at 6MAP and analyzed for proximate, phenol and mineral content. Another set was incubated with <em>Botryodiplodia theobromae</em> for 2 weeks and then analyzed for phenol and proximate content. Tuber Ca was comparable across treatments, whereas N, S, and Fe were higher in the 0.6 and 1.2 ml l<sup>-1</sup> Bounty-fertilized treatments than the control. P was higher only in the 0.6 ml l<sup>-1</sup> treatment than the control, whereas K and Mg were higher in the control than the 0.6 ml l<sup>-1</sup> treatment and in the 1.2 ml l<sup>-1</sup> treatments respectively. Phenol was higher in the 1.2 ml <sup>-1</sup> treatment than the control. Calcium which is the second highest (7% w/w) component in Bounty fertilizer was a mean of 14.15 mg/100gdm in Oniyere tubers, which is only 7.73% of phenol content with a mean value of 183.3 mg/100gdm. Calcium also had no significant correlation with phenol. Dry matter and moisture remained unchanged after the incubation, whereas crude fibre and fat increased by 93.6% and 39.47% respectively. Ash increased only in the 1.2 ml l<sup>-1 </sup>treatment by 22.54% and remained unchanged in the control and 0.6 ml l<sup>-1</sup> treatment. Phenol remained unchanged after the incubation in the 0.6 ml l<sup>-1</sup> and 0 ml l<sup>-1</sup> treatments but decreased in the 1.2 ml l<sup>-1</sup> treatment. However carbohydrate and crude protein decreased across the 3 treatments by 2.16% and 51.33% respectively. &nbsp;Correlation of r = -0.5786 between Calcium and moisture indicates Ca will not promote moisture. Positive implication of low moisture for longer tuber storage has been reported. Nitrogen (N) the highest component (15% w/w) of bounty, had significant correlation with phenol and Fe, r = 0.7921 and 0.9840 respectively, thus will enhance production of both tuber phenol and tuber Iron. Fe correlated significantly with S (r = 0.9751) and Fe and S will each in turn promote phenol, r = 0.7629 and 0.7978 respectively. Iron content in Bounty fertilizer is 2% w/w compared to Nitrogen which is 15% w/w, whereas Sulphur is not present in Bounty fertilizer. A future trial should involve analysis of total phenolic compounds (not only phenol), as well as proximate and mineral content, in a longer and time-related incubation of about six to eight weeks, so as to determine all factors contributing to longer and better (quality) storage of variety Oniyere tubers.</p> ER -