Assessment of weight loss in stored ginger (Zingiber officinale Rose.) under different storage materials

Abstract

Studies were carried out at Experimental Farm of ICAR - Indian Institute of Spices Research, Peruvannamuzhi, Kozhikode to find out the influence of green leaves and inert storage materials on physiological weight loss of seed ginger rhizomes stored in wooden storage units kept in semipermanent shed. The storage unit with a capacity of 100 kg has wooden base of size 1x 1 x 0.1 m, above which side walls made of welded mild steel mesh is provided to a height of 30 cm in 27 different storage units. Ginger rhizomes treated with fungicide Mancozeb (0.3%) were kept in the storage unit and stored with green leaves such as Glycosmis pentaphylla, Strychnos nuxvomica and inert materials such as sawdust, sand and granite powder. Pre-treated rhizomes alone and untreated rhizomes served as control. Maximum percentage of bold healthy rhizomes with less moisture loss was obtained when rhizomes were stored with granite powder and sawdust (76.4%) and was on par with sand (74.2%). Influence of various storage materials on germination percentage of ginger rhizome showed that all the treatments except control was effective in maintaining the germinability (100%) of seed rhizomes. Studies on microbial infestation of stored rhizomes indicated that, storing ginger with Strichnos nuxvomica leaves showed pest/pathogen free seed rhizomes.