Direct Effect of cashew Nut Scarification Associated with Powdery Mildew in the Processing Industry

Abstract

Cashew powdery mildew disease can reduce on field yield by 100% depending on flowers' susceptibility. Surviving flowers may still produce nuts that are severely damaged. The impact of this, post-harvest, damage to the processing industry is unknown. Therefore the objective of this experiment was to assess the effect of powdery mildew nut scarification on biometric and industrial processing variables: nut size, weight, nut count, outturn, cutting and peeling time and finally analyze the financial implication of the effect. Thus, raw cashew nuts were randomly sampled and categorized in to five disease score levels (treatments). Ten nuts (replicates) were used for each disease category. Length, thickness, width and weight were measured. Furthermore, from each disease level, two sets of nuts were established. One set for nut count and outturn assessment by cutting test. The other set, for steam boiling, cutting, peeling and other processes quantitatively assessed. A completely randomized experimental design was followed for data analysis. The summary effect was assessed as relative loss in percentage to non diseased nuts. The relative maximum loss due to powdery mildew attack was 41.2% for nut length, 42.9% for nut width, 31.3% for nut thickness and 50% for nut weight. The disease severity increased relative nut count (18.9%) and reduced the total ISSN 2166-0379 2016 www.macrothink.org/jas 75 percentage of kernels (20.3%), outturn (21.1%), the industrial yield of white wholes (88.1%), amount of peels (27.6%) and the outturn and nut count based projected income by 9.6%. Three disease based nut categories are proposed for processing improvements. Nut scarification effect on kernel deterioration, seed germination and others is under investigation. Journal of Agricultural Studies

Powdery Mildew and Nutritional Qualities of Cashew Apple and Kernels

“…Damage levels, on field, vary depending on the cultivar and/or agro-climatic conditions, but a maximum of 100% loss in flowers has been observed in East Africa. The disease post harvest impact of the disease includes severe reduction in nut size (Serrano et al, 2013) and subsequent reduction on white wholes kernel recovery during processing (Uaciquete and Nicurrupo, 2016). Meanwhile, when young apples are severely attacked also exhibit reduction in size and longitudinal cracks that exposes the inner part of the fruit to rotting fungi and bacteria Zhongrun et al, 2013).…”

“…Mozambique alone, for the 2016 crop season, contributed about 137000 tons of raw nuts. However, cashew production can be significantly hindered, by among other factors, powdery mildew (Oidium anacardii Noack) (Uaciquete and Nicurrupo, 2016). The disease causes considerable damage to young tissues leading to the death of the floral-flushing shoots and the early abortion of young nuts and subsequent loss of yield, mainly in East Africa (Azam-Ali and Judge 2001;Viana et al, 2011).…”

“…European conquerors, disseminated the tree between Capricorn and Cancer tropics, during the 16 th century (Dandena and Corsi, 2015;Uaciquete and Nicurrupo, 2016). The importance of the crop is mainly associated with its fruit, i.e., the apple and the nut, either as food or medicine or applied in industrial purposes (Yapo and Koffi, 2014;Dandena and Corsi, 2015).…”