Post harvesting

Given below is the sequence of harvesting:

January:

• Harvest designated areas where late planting has been done
• Mark plants separately for seed purpose

Storage of seed rhizomes

• Soak seed rhizomes in 0.3% dithane M45 and 0.1% malathion solution for 30 minutes
• Drain and dry in shade
• Store in pits under shade; alternate with layers of sand / saw dust
• Cover with wooden / earthen lid

Post harvest

• Cure finger and mother rhizomes separately
• Cure through boiling in fresh water
• Dry under sun by spreading 5-7 cm thick bamboo mats
• Dry for 10-15 days
• Polish using mechanical dryer

February

• Inspect seed rhizomes once in 20 days
• Monitor onset of diseases

April

• Prepare main field after summer showers
• Plough fields into fine tilth and form 1 m beds of 25 cm height
• Provide proper drainage channels
• Apply 40 tonnes of well powdered farm yard manure, 185 kg super phosphate, 50 kg muriate of potash / hectare as basal dose
• Plant turmeric in the second fortnight with rhizomes of 20-25 gm weight
• Plant at required distances
• Mulch hole bed with 15 tonnes green leaves / hectare

May

• Weed as necessary
• Top dress with 65 kg urea after 40 days
• Earth up beds
• Repeat mulching of beds with green leaves / weeded material @ 5 tonnes

June and July

• Remove weeds by hand weeding
• Clear drainage
• Apply second round of manure
• Spray 0.05% dimethoane (167ml/100l) to control shoot borer
• Uproot clumps in case infestation begins
• Control disease spread as suggested

August

• Weed and earth up as necessary
• Avoid water stagnation by proper drainage
• Watch for rhizome rot and control as suggested

September

• Weed and earth up as necessary
• Avoid water stagnation by proper drainage
• Spray trichoderma @ 0.5 kg / plant at the root zone and spray pseudomonas (0.2%) on foliage to arrest fungal onslaught

October

• Weed and earth up as necessary
• Avoid water stagnation by proper drainage
• Drench soil in 0.3% dithane M45 or 0.3% chestnut compound to prevent rhizome rot
• 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.2% dithane M 45 (200g/100l of water) can be sprayed if leaf spot is noticed
• 0.05% Monocrotophos (140ml/100 l water) can be used to control the incidence of shoot borer

November

• This is the time to select disease free plants for collecting seed turmeric
• Weeding, earthing of beds and mulching can be done, if required
• Drainage canals must be in place, to avoid stagnation
• Drench soil in 0.3% dithane M45 or 0.3% chestnut compound to prevent rhizome rot
• 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.2% dithane M 45 (200g/100l of water) can be sprayed if leaf spot is noticed

December

The month of December is usually split into the harvest, storage and post harvest management sessions.

Harvesting

• Harvesting may be done in areas where late planting was done
• The seed turmeric plants must be marked separately and be used for seed purpose
• The remaining plants can be harvested on maturity

Storage

• Seed rhizomes can be soaked in 0.3% dithane M45 and 0.1% malathion solution for 30 minutes
• They must be then drained and dried in the shade
• Seed rhizomes must be stored in pits under the shade with alternate layers of saw dust or sand
• Cover with an earthen or wooden lid with holes or with coconut fronds

Post Harvest

• Fingers and mother rhizomes must be cured separated for better graded produce
• Curing can be done by boiling rhizomes separately in fresh water and drying in the sun
• Sun dry rhizomes in 5-7 cm thick layers on clean bamboo mats
• Polish dry turmeric using mechanical polishers