Cured Turmeric
Farmers can store cured turmeric for a long time, provided the turmeric bags are stored inside a pit. Usually, the pits should be 450cm deep while leaving a 300cm and 200cm gap from sides with raised grounds. The pits must dry out completely before placing the turmeric sacks; while the sides and bottom should be padded with paddy straws. On top of the paddy straw layer, a date mat must be placed. Then the bags must be placed and they should be covered with grass or straw layers. Then the pit should be covered with soil.
In Central and State Warehouses, scientific storage is recommended. Prophylactic treatment must be carried out, along with fumigation of the facility. It would ensure better and hygienic storage at a nominal cost.
Seed preservation
A portion of the harvested rhizome seeds are usually preserved for use during the next-cycle cultivation. However, to preserve the rhizomes seeds, they can be heaped in sheds with proper ventilation. Or, they can be heaped over a 5-10 cm thick sand layer and under the tree shades. The heaped rhizome seed must be covered with turmeric leaves.
Another way to store the seeds can be inside pits and covering them with sand, sawdust, along with Strychnos nuxvomica leaves. A wooden plank must be used to cover the pits with a small opening for air to circulate.
Care must be taken to dip the rhizomes in 0.3% of Dithane M-45 and 0.1% of Bavistin solution before heaping it under the tree shed. It should be also dipped in quinalphos solution, to avert scale infestations. But it shouldn’t be dipped for more than 15 minutes. This would help to prevent any kind of storage loss. During summer months, water can be sprinkled over the rhizome heaps to keep it cool.
Since there is a huge time-gap between harvesting and the next plantation, the unsprouted rhizome seeds must be preserved. For preservation, mature and healthy harvested rhizomes are picked. During the preservation process, the damaged rhizomes are removed from the heap and the rest are used as seed rhizomes.