Abstract
Cocoyam is one of the important root food crops especially in Eastern parts of Zimbabwe. However, the nutritional composition of the Zimbabwean cocoyam has not been ascertained. A field trial was conducted in Rusape, Makoni District, Manicaland Province, Thandi Area under Chief Makoni in Maramwidze Village, 10km from Rusape town in 2015/16 season. Treatments consists of the control, cowdung manure, inorganic fertilizer, and a combination of cowdung manure and inorganic fertilizer, and was laid out in a split-plot design with cocoyam types (Madhumbe, Magogoya and Ghana) assigned to the main plots and manure type as the sub-plots with three replications. The results showed that nutrient supply to the cocoyam crop influenced the quality of the crop in a non-synchronously form. Proximate nutrition composition of cocoyam were in the range of 65 – 78% (moisture), 2 – 5 % (ash), 0.2 – 1.10% (fat), 2 – 5% (fibre), 14 – 23% (carbohydrates), 390 – 460 mg/100g (potassium), 24 – 43 mg/100g (calcium), 79 – 91 k/cal (energy), 0.3 – 4.8% (protein) and 79 – 110 mg/100g (magnesium). The high carbohydrate content in the cocoyam shows that the crop is superior compared to other tubers like sweet potatoes and cassava. In conclusion, the utilization of cocoyam combined with other foods with high protein content like cowpea will be beneficial to the nutrition of vulnerable groups considering the resultant high nutritive values.