Influence of storage on the quality of selected pulses

Abstract

Blackgram, greengram, horsegram and cowpea were the pulses commonly cultivated in Kerala. Area under cultivation was in the range of 21 cents to 1 acre and 10 to 90 kg of pulses were harvested every time. Pre harvest loss of crops were mainly due to insect attack. Conventional methods of pretreatments such as sundrying and sand mixing were administered. Prior to storage, for seed material, fungicide and insecticide were also used. Quantitative, qualitative and organoleptic changes such as weight loss, colour change texture change, inferior taste and discolouration due to storage were reported by the farmers.

Forty five godowns were selected for the large scale storage study. Space facilities of the godown decided the number of pulses stored and duration of storage. Every month pulses were procured from Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Prior to storage, pretreatments such as sparying DDVP, sweeping and dusting DT were administered. Infected pulses were sold as cattle feed and as manure or sold at subsidredrate for human consumption.

Decrease in protein content, and volume expansion in all the pulses stored under large scale as well as farm level storage were noticed. While increase in no-protein-nitrogen, uric acid, moisture, cooking time, water uptake, percent hydration coefficient, damaged fraction, percent weight loss fungal contamination and bacterial contamination were observed in all the pulses irrespective of storage containers, storage period and level of storage.