Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of harvesting stages on quality of turmeric. Three
accessions of turmeric with five harvesting stages were evaluated in a factorial combination. Samples (1 kg
each) were harvested, dried and quality parameters were recorded. The analysis indicated that moisture content
was significantly (p < 0.01) influenced by accessions and harvesting stages. The lowest moisture content
(74.3%) was attained from Pack.6/82 harvested 8 months and the highest moisture content (78.81%) was
attained from Bonga.51/71 harvested 11 months after planting. The highest essential oil content in fresh (1.21%)
and in dried rhizomes (5.13%) was recorded from Bonga.51/71 harvested 7 months after planting. On the other
hand, oleoresin content was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by cultivar. The highest oleoresin content in
fresh (2.77%) and in dried rhizomes (11.45%) was obtained in Bonga.51/71. The results of the present study
showed that accession Bonga.51/71 and cultivar Dame (Ind.48/72) were superior with respect to major quality
parameters indicating the potential for export provided that recommended harvesting and processing methods
applied. The accessions showed higher quality performances when harvested from 7 to 8 months after planting
and is recommendable for producers for extraction and export.
