MANAGEMENT OF POST HARVEST PESTS AND DISEASES IN CEREALS, PULSES AND OILSEEDS.

Totally 300 demonstrations were initiated in four districts (Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapur) of northern Karnataka, but 50 farmers terminated the demonstrations half way due to use of the produce for consumption or marketing of produce. Hence, the inferences were drawn from 250 successful demonstrations. Immediately after the harvest, the seeds should be dried properly and stored. For cereals, as a preventive measure, to reduce the pest infestation, mix sweet flag rhizome powder @ 1 per cent (100 g/q) or neem seed powder @ 2 per cent (200 g/q) in case of cereals such as sorghum, maize, wheat and paddy. For pulses, as a preventive measure, to reduce the pest infestation, mix sweet flag rhizome powder @ 1 per cent (100 g/q) or smear groundnut oil @ 5 per cent (500 ml/q) in case of pulses such as bengal gram, red gram, cowpea and green gram. For oilseeds, as a preventive measure, to reduce the pest infestation, mix sweet flag rhizome powder @ 1 per cent (100 g/q) in oilseeds such as groundnut, sunflower and soybean. These give protection against storage pests for a period of six months. As curative measure, in the infested seeds/grains of cereals or pulses, place Aluminium Phosphide tablets (@ 3 tablets per tonne tied in the muslin cloth) in the middle of the stack in the storage structures under airtight conditions for seven days. After this, open the gunny bags and air dry for 48 hours and sieve the produce to remove dead insects and store/use further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]