Farmers must properly store crops after harvesting to prevent spoilage and pest damage that could reduce crop quality and sale price. Effective storage methods include drying crops completely before storing, using pest-resistant containers like metal bins with locks, and fumigating or spraying grains with pesticides to kill insects inside. Large-scale storage is done in granaries or silos, while smaller farmers can use jute bags or sealed metal containers for storage. Proper storage helps farmers maximize their income from crop sales.

1. Storage of
crop
grains

2.  Across the tropics and subtropics more than half of
the population lives in rural areas.
 Most of these people depend solely on farming
for their livelihoods. Nowadays, few farmers can
be regarded as living truly at subsistence level, i.e.
producing only enough food for their families and
for seed. Most farmers now produce at least a
small surplus for sale; the money obtained being
used to improve their standard of living.
 The level of income depends not only on the
quantity of crop sold but also on its quality.
Hence, it is essential that farmers keep their crops
in the best possible condition until they are sold.

3.  Storage of produce is an equally important task
as harvesting because if the produce is not
stored properly using appropriate measures it
may get spoilt or attacked by insects or rats or
micro organisms.
 Farmers with large holdings of land have to
store very large quantities of harvested crop.
Thus these farmers particularly have to be
aware about these common storage
precautions. They are :-

4.  Mature grains, nuts, roots, and tubers have a period after
harvest when they do not sprout and can easily be stored with the
simplest of technologies and protective structures.
More perishable foods (meat, fruits, and vegetables) were sliced
into thin sections and dried or smoked, or pickled in brine. Some
of these techniques, such as sun drying , smoking and pickling
are still used today.
 Another method for storage is canning. Canned food has a
very long storage life, especially when stored under low
temperatures. Like canning, many storage technologies such
as fermentation can also be used .
 Large scale storage of grains are done in granaries or silos .

6. Neem is used for storage of grains as a pesticide.
SimilarlyWalnut, Bhera and Mint leaves also possess certain
antimicrobial or pesticidal properties, which help in grain
storage.The turmeric powder also appears to perform a similar
function.
The freshly harvested crop contains a lot of moisture. Therefore
the crop should be dried before storing to prevent them from
being attacked by micro organisms. They are dried either in the
traditional way or by a machine called seed drier.

7.  Grains can also be stored in jute bags or metallic bins.
Metal storage bins are made from smooth or
corrugated galvanized metal sheets. Most bins used
for small-scale storage . The bin usually has a filling
hatch through which grains are loaded and an
emptying spout through which they can be emptied .
Metal bins can provide maximum protection and
security if padlocks are fitted to the filling hatch and
emptying spout.

9.  The process of fumigation is also done before
storage. It kills insects living inside the grains
with the help of phosphine gas. Small-scale
fumigation can be carried out under gas-tight
covers such as thick polythene sheets, or in
containers that can be easily sealed.
 Grains are also sprayed with insecticides or
pesticides before storage to prevent insect or
pest attacks.

11. Thank You !
By Srihari
Sanjeev