Effect of Processing Methods on Proximate Composition of Cassava Varieties Manihot esculenta (Crantz) Before and After Infestation by Prostephanus truncatus (Horn)

In Africa, Prostephanus truncatus is a destructive pest of economic importance which has assumed a serious pest status on stored maize and dry cassava chips. This study investigates the effect of processing methods of cassava varieties Manihot esculenta on the proximate composition before and after exposure to P. truncatus. The four cassava varieties used for this study were; TMS 0505, TME 419, NR 8082 and TMS 0581 subjected to two processing method parboiling and plain sun-drying at temperature 28-34oC and relative humidity of 65-75%. The experiment was carried out in a Complete Randomized Design. Proximate composition was carried out to determine the Moisture, Ash, Crude fibre, Fat, Crude Protein and Carbohydrate of the different samples. Analysis of Variance was used for the statistical analysis of the data obtained. The result reveals that the proximate composition of the sundried chips are significant at P<0.05%. All the proximate contents of the sample were significant at P<0.05% before the introduction of P. trucatus. After the introduction of P. truncatus and the storage period of 30days, the sundried sample had a higher reduction in the moisture contents of TMS 0505 with 13.05±0.00a and carbohydrate contents of NR 8082 with 50.0±0.00a. The activity of P. truncatus also has a negative impact on some of the nutritional components of cassava chips.