Survey on post harvest losses in potato under southern dry zone of Karnataka

Abstract

An estimation studies on post harvest losses in potato was surveyed at different potato growing areas of Hassan district during Kharif season for three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017. At main field of potato both losses due to left over produce from randomly selected three farmers plots and losses from storage heap during marketing of potato of same plots were documented on yield parameters such as total tuber yield, late blight diseased tubers, cut or cracked tubers and bruised tubers. The pooled data of three years indicated that, an average losses due to left over produce in different farmer field was about 13.83 per cent of late blight diseased tubers, 15.69 per cent of cut or cracked tubers and 4.60 per cent of bruised tubers. Further, an average losses at storage heap was around 1.83 per cent of diseased tubers, 0.98 per cent of cut or cracked tubers and 0.48 per cent of bruised tubers in short period of storage of 15 to 20 days at farm. From the studies, it was found that both losses due to left over produce in different plots of farmers and losses from storage heap contributed nearly 35.00 per cent post harvest losses in potato under Southern Dry Zone of Karnataka during Kharif season.