R K Singh and D K Singh

Technology

Keeping onion and garlic

for better return
Of the total onion and garlic production, 20-50% is lost during various stages
of handling in storage and transportation. The quality of onion or garlic
cannot be improved after harvesting; it can be maintained only by adopting
appropriate post-harvest practices. The post-harvest losses can be minimized
to a great extent by proper pre- and post-harvest treatments practices. In our
country, production pattern, dietary habits and economic considerations warrant
storage of onion and garlic for a long period in large quantity. Their storage
is essential process to maintain the supply of bulbs round-the-year and also to
stabilize the prices during the lean period.

I MPROVEMENT in farming system by adopting the

improved varieties and agro-techniques, production of
onion and garlic has increased substantially, but a sizeable
amount of the produce is lost during the post-harvest
handling, improper and inadequate storage facilities and
lack of processing units. The post-harvest losses can be
minimized to a great extent by proper pre- and post-
harvest treatments of the produce by adopting appropriate
post-harvest technology. The pre-harvest factors has a
direct bearing on post- harvest quality of the produce and
thus, pre- and post-harvest factors are usually inter- related.
POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT
The quality of onion or garlic cannot be improved
after harvesting; it can be only maintained by adopting
the appropriate post-harvest practices. The post-harvest
management of onion and garlic includes drying and
curing, sorting and grading, packaging, transportation,
storage and marketing. Maintenance of quality of onion
and garlic require the best possible protection at each
step of today’s complex marketing structure.
Pre-harvest Factors
Pre-harvest factors play a significant role in controlling
post-harvest deterioration of onion and garlic to a great
extent. Various pre-harvest considerations such as selection
of right cultivars, proper cultural practices, pre-harvest
treatment and harvesting at right stage are of paramount
importance. It is known that only successfully grown onion
or garlic crop can be successfully stored.
Varieties: Storage life of onion or garlic varies from
variety to variety. Varieties having long storage life possess
high contents of total soluable solids and drymatter and
strong pungency. These varieties have relatively low rate
of loss of water especially during the period immediately
after harvesting. Onion varieties which keep well in storage
are: Agrifound Light Red, NHRDF-Red, Pusa Red, Arka
Niketan and N-2-4-1.
Nutrient management: Use of balanced nitrogen
improves the quality and shelf-life of onion and garlic
during storage, however, excessive or late application
reduces the storability of onion and garlic bulbs. Higher
doses of phosphorus and potash enhance the storage life
of onion and garlic.
Irrigation management: It is an important factor and
has influence on keeping quality of onion and garlic bulbs.
Light and frequent irrigation are required, heavy watering
must be avoided at all costs. Irrigation at 10-15 days
interval during vegetative growth phase and 5-6 days
during reproductive phase is better. Irrigation should be
stopped at 10-15days before harvesting. Use of
microirrigation system is very useful in onion as well as
garlic.
Environment: The environment play very crucial role
in determining the shelf-life of onion and garlic. Among
biotic factors, temperature, photo period, soil moisture

Drying and curing of onion Neck cutting of onion Selection of onion for storage

20 Indian Horticulture
and arriation are important, while among biotic factors help in reduction of post-harvest losses.
diseases and pest and the wed flora of the field are Post-harvest treatments: It is applicable in onion only.
important. Irradiation with gamma rays @60-90 GY is beneficial
Maturity: When bulbs reach in maturity, plant ceases against sprouting loss in onion. Irradiation with 2-6 krad
to produce new leaves and senescence starts. At this stage, of cobalt 60 gamma rays given to bulb of garlic within 8
the top just above neck of the bulb weakened and bend weeks of harvesting (before sprout initiation) can inhibit
down still remaining green. If bulbs are harvested at pre- sprouting effectively, reduce weight loss and can prolong
mature stage, driage losses as well as sprouting losses are storage life for about one year.
going to be more as the bulbs do not goes in dormant Packaging: Packages for horticultural crops provide
stage. Delayed harvesting results in convenient units for marketing and
splitting of bulbs and bolting, such distribution of the products and they
bulbs do not store well in storage. have several special requirements.
Harvesting in morning and evening Packages must protect the contents
hours was found suitable. against undue damage during
Chemical treatments: Pre-harvest distribution and must maintain the
treatments with chemicals are beneficial shape and strength, often for long
in reducing of post-harvest losses. periods at a relative humidity near
Spraying of Streptocycline @0.02% and saturation and some times after water
Carbendazim @0.1% at 10 and 20 days drenching. Economy and protection,
before harvesting, respectively, results both are considered in selecting
in reduced losses due to decay. Use of packaging material.
maleic hydrazide @2000-2500ppm at Onion and Garlic are brought in
10-15 days before harvesting in onion loose form from farmer’s field to market
reduces the sprouting loss during yard. In some markets farmers bring
storage. Storage life of garlic is prolong onion and garlic in perforated jali
and loss in weight is also reduced by (hessian) bags of 9x10 mesh per sq.
spraying of 3000ppm MH at three Grading of onion by machine
inch (260g/40kg).Plastic woven bags
weeks before harvesting. having enough ventilation are also
in use now. Use of new netted lino
Post-Harvest Factors bags has started on small scale for
Drying and curing: Drying is domestic and export market as also
done to remove excess moisture for temporary storage and in cold
from the outer skin and neck of storage.
bulbs with a view to reduce storage Transportation, loading and un-
rot, while minimizing shrinkage loading: Onion and garlic stocks are
caused by removal of moisture transported on head-load, bullock-
from the interior. Curing is an carts, tractor-trolleys to local
additional process helping in Onion storage in bags
markets and trucks as also railway
development of skin colour. wagons for longer distance. Tier
Windrow curing is best for onion system of transportation on bad
and garlic shed curing in bundles roads, restriction of loading height
is better. in truck/wagons to avoid pressure
Top-cutting / neck-cutting: bruising, provision of cushioning
Cutting of tops close to bulbs gives at bottom, ventilation in wagons
way to entry of moisture and and priority should be given to
microorganisms (pathogens), avoid losses. Use of hooks during
thereby more losses occurs due to loading/ unloading the bags should
decay. About 2-2.5cm tops above be avoided as it does cause injury
the bulbs should be left while Onion transportation to bulbs. Care should be taken to
cutting the tops so as to have tight avoid injury by throwing the bags
neck and avoid loss in storage. also while loading /unloading.
Sorting and grading: For minimizing the storage loss Onion is stored in different types of structures.
due to decay, drying and sprouting and also to get premium Common storage structures of onion available in
price the thick necked, bolted, doubles, injured, decayed, different parts of India are almost alike except slight
diseased and sprouted bulbs should be removed. The size difference in roof and flooring. In Northen India near
grading is done manually or mechanically before storage. Panipat (Haryana) or Jalalabad (Uttar Pradesh) the
Medium-sized bulbs of onion (4-6 cm) as well as garlic structures are called ‘Tat’ or ‘Chawl’ and are made of
(3-4 cm) are good for storage purpose. Sorting and grading bamboo or sarkanda nets and the roof is thatched one

May–June 2014 21
 Model onion structure Two-tier onion structure Low-cost onion storage

or made of sirki, which is covered on top with jute Thoroughly cured garlic bulbs keep fairly well in
cloths. The size is 1.2 m × 3.0 m with a capacity of 40 ordinary well ventilated rooms. Garlic with dried leaves
quintals. The bottom net is provided to have aeration. can be stored by hanging in well ventilated rooms.
In Nasik, Pune (Maharashtra) areas, the structures are This is, however, not possible on commercial scale
called ‘Chawl’. The structures because space requirement is
have sides made of bamboo of more. Storage without tops in
other woods spread at 1-2 cm nylon netted bags give better
apart and roof is made of performance in Nasik and
thatch, asbestos sheets or tiles Karnal. In Jamnagar area of
or GI sheets. Now PVC coated Gujarat and also some pockets
GI sheets are also used for roof of Indore and Mandsaur in M.P.
of onion chawls and chain links as also in Mainpuri and Etah
for side walls with adequate district of Uttar Pradesh bulbs
support. In traditional chawls, are stored for 6 to 8 months and
there is no bottom ventilation disposed off depending upon the
but flooring is done with the demand since garlic stores well
help of soil, stone particles and for market under a wide range
Curing and drying of garlic
sand and is raised for ground of temperature, controlled
level. Size of store varies from conditioned (Low temperature),
area to area. Normally, width storage are not necessary. The
is kept as 1.5 m and height is storage of garlic with dried
about 1.5 m. The length may foliage in bundles tightly heaped
vary from 13.5 to 30.0m and in ventilated godowns is done
accordingly capacity varies at NRCOG and also by farmers
from 200 to 600 quintals. The and Nasik / Pune area which
available structures in give lower storage losses. The
Tamilnadu are similar to North foliage is removed just before
except that length is more and sending garlic bulbs for
stone pillars are used for marketing which avoids
support and coconut leaves and separations of cloves and checks
dry grass is used for roof. In sprouting.
Garlic storage through hanging method
Bihar, structures has 2-3 tiers,
whereas in Gujarat the structures are having single or Processing and Dehydration
double tiers. The loading height is 1.2-1.5m at all The dehydrated of onion or garlic should posses certain
places except Bihar where it is 30-60cm. There is desirable traits such as higher yield, retentive attractive
enough ventilation through windows in the walls and colour, strong pungency and good drying ratio. White
also raised flooring at certain height. The losses in all onion varieties in general are found better suited for
structures vary from 30% to 50% in general depending dehydration while red or yellow varieties are less desirable
on the duration of storage and quality of bulbs used for processing since the pigment anthocyanin and quercitin
for storage. The modifications are desirable depending presenting red and yellow onions, respectively is bitter
on prevailing weather conditions for efficient storage. and inferior in flavour, however, in garlic all the varieties
The NAFED has developed two and three tiers onion can be used for processing purpose.
storage structures in Maharshtra in which losses much
lower. NHRDF has developed modern design for two tier For further interaction, please write to:
in Panipat and single tier in Nasik having adequate Drs R K Singh and D K Singh (Scientists), National Horticultural
ventilation from all sides including bottom and thus, the Research and Development Foundation, Chitegaon Phata,
losses in theses storage structures are reduced considerably. Post-Darna Sangavi, Taluqa-Niphad, Nashik 422 003, Maharashtra.

22 Indian Horticulture