Seed Production of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops (2+1)

Steps necessary for good storage practice

• Stored product pests can be managed either behaviouraly (traps viz., probe traps, light traps, pitfall traps etc.,) or with several preventive and curative measures (both chemical and non-chemical methods).
  
• Once a facility is obtained, a number of steps are to be taken to ensure safe storage of grains.
  
These steps comprise,
Before storage

• Checking for leakage of rain water and sufficiency of drainage facilities
• Cleanliness of the facility and environment
• Assessment of capacity of the facility
• Pesticidal treatment
• Security and firefighting arrangements and
• Repairs to available equipment
After receipt of seed

• Inspection for variety and soundness of quality
• Inspection carefully for infestation, it any, and when present, for type and extent of infestation,
• Inspection whether grain has excess moisture, whether it had been heated up in
• Earlier storage and has any musty or rancid odour
• Any grain rendered wet or damaged to be segregated and salvaged with facilities available and check the weight received
During storage

• Maintenance of cleanliness
• Ensuring aeration where necessary
• Checking for leakage after rains
• Inspection for insects, rats and mites at fortnightly intervals
• Watch for advancement in deterioration, if any,
• Pesticidal treatments necessarily based on observations
• Ensuring disposal where called for, and
• Arrangement for segregation, salvage and processing, wherever, damage owing
• To leakage of water and other causes might have taken place.