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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Assessment of pulses storage systems and their effect on germination retention in Central Karnataka

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15669
Submitted
23 May 2026
Published
17-09-2026

Abstract

Post-harvest storage losses in pulses remain a major constraint to food security in India; however, systematic assessments integrating farmers’ storage practices with experimental germination data across multiple pulse species are limited. This study combined a field survey of 1200 farmers conducted across four districts of Central Karnataka (Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere and Shivamogga) during 2023–24 with standardised germination testing of seven pulse crops (black gram, chickpea, cowpea, green gram, horse gram, hyacinth bean and moth bean). Seeds were evaluated under five farmer-level storage treatments (sun-dried without treatment, Nilagiri leaves, neem leaves, chemical tablets and chemical powder) and three commercial storages environments (APMC, cold storage and vendor storage). Germination was assessed monthly from the seventh to the tenth month of storage using the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) standard paper towel method. Data were analysed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test. The survey revealed a substantial shift from traditional storage structures to polythene bags (regional mean 88.9 %) and drums (21.1 %), accompanied by continued reliance on sun drying, increased use of chemical fumigants and a decline in traditional botanical storage practices. Germination results showed that chemical seed treatments and cold storage consistently maintained higher germination percentages across all pulse crops. Two-way ANOVA demonstrated that storage method and storage duration significantly affect germination (mostly p < 0.001), with significant storage method × storage duration interactions observed in several pulse crops. These findings provide region-specific evidence that post-harvest germination losses in pulse seeds can be reduced through the adoption of appropriate chemical seed treatments and improved access to cold storage facilities during storage.

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