• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.387-393
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• 2012

In order to improve storability of subtropical yam produced in South Korea, the major pathogens found during the storage were isolated and identified of the pathogenicity, and rot inhibition effect was studied based on the curing treatment condition. Penicillium sclerotigenum and Penicillium polonicum were identified as major pathogens causing rot in subtropical yam during storage, and P. sclerotigenum had stronger pathogenicity. Only the cut surface which has been made during a harvest and has been made smooth before curing generated a normal callus layer. The cut surface of tuberous root was cured in 95% of relativity humidity for three days at $23^{\circ}C$, and cured at $28^{\circ}C$ and $33^{\circ}C$. The observation of callus layer showed that the $23^{\circ}C$ treatment group had similar color saturation between tuberous root and pellicle, while the groups treated above $28^{\circ}C$ showed clear distinction. The generation rate of callus 0.5mm or bigger was 93 percent at $28^{\circ}C$ treatment, 96% at $33^{\circ}C$ treatment, but was 52% at $23^{\circ}C$ treatment. The conventional curing treatment group that used wind or sunlight at room temperature created little callus layer. The infection rate of pathogens according to the relative humidity inside the storage room was low at 40% and 60% of humidity, and the curing treatment period did not make a difference. When the humidity inside the storage room was 80%, all treatment groups rapidly increased the fungal pathogens. The rotten rate of each treatment was studied after 180 days during which the storage temperature was maintained at $16^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity 60%. While the rotten rate of tuberous root that has been cut in conventional curing treatment based on solar and wind was 43%, the one cured at over $28^{\circ}C$ and created the callus layer was less than 18%. While even a healthy tuberous root showed 25% of rotten rate in the traditional treatment group, the one cured at over $28^{\circ}C$ was less than 10%. The weight loss was 1-6% lower in the forced treatment group than in the conventional treatment group.