STORAGE OF GREENGRAM INSIDE PADDY

Storage of green gram has been found to be done very efficiently inside paddy bags. In this method up to 25 kg of green gram is first kept inside a polythene bag. This bag of green gram is then kept inside a 75 kg capacity gunny bag containing paddy on all the sides of the bag of green gram along with its top and bottom portion. After collection of this information, an On-Farm Testing was done by KVK to find out the validity of the system. There were 6 treatments and four replications as given below.
T1- Treating of green gram seeds with mustard oil @ 2 ml / kg
T2- Mixing of Azadirachta indica leaves @ 50 g / kg of seeds
T3- Mixing of Vitex negundo leaves @ 50 g / kg of seeds
T4- Storage of green gram inside paddy bag
T5- Treatment of green gram seeds with ethylene dibromide
T6- Control - without any treatment
The containers were, first, kept for a period of 8 months from November to June coinciding with the harvesting and sowing period of green gram respectively in the concerned rain fed area. Then the number of grains damaged were counted and after cleaning the seeds those were again kept inside the same containers for another 4 months without any treatment.
It was found that there was significant reduction in percentage of grains damaged in all the treatments as compared to the control. The percentage of grain damage due to EDB (ethylene dibromide) treatment was lowest but it was at par with storage inside paddy bag. The next best treatment was treatment with mustard oil. The effect of both the leaves were at par.
When the seeds were stored for another 4 months, as stated above, the average percentage of damaged grains increased to 6.3% in case of mustard oil and to 19.5% in case of storage inside paddy bag. But in other cases almost all the grains were damaged.
It is assumed that paddy would have created uncongenial environment due to its peculiar smell for death of the stored grain pests already present inside the green gram bag and also created a physical barrier for entry of pests from outside. Likewise mustard oil would have created similar effect due to the presence of sulphur containing allyl isothiocyanate. Green gram stored inside paddy bag is also found to be used safely as seed by the farmers.

Source: Barik, T. and Barik K.C. 2006. Indigenous Knowledge, Agricultural Festivals and Farmers’ Informal Experiments of Bargarh District. Extension Education Bulletin No. 27. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bargarh, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, 751003. 44pp.