GULBARGA: The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, has made rapid progress in post-harvest technology to add value to harvested crops, according to B. Ranganna, head of Post-Harvest Technology of the university.

He told The Hindu that the university had come up with a method for preserving harvested and processed pulses for a longer duration. It had also developed machines for grading mangoes, de-husking groundnut and coconut, drying cardamom, processing tamarind, and dal, and a portable winnower for cleaning grain. These machines were not only popular in the State but also in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Kerala and West Bengal. They were also being exported to some African countries.

A non-governmental organisation in Senegal had evinced interest in the technology to prolong the shelf life of pulses.

The university had transferred this technology to preserve foodgrains in Senagal, which was drought-prone, he said. Dr. Ranganna said the technology developed by the scientists of the university was simple. Dried foodgrains and pulses were stored in a container and fine sand was put on top of the stored produce.

The sand packing of foodgrains and pulses prevented them from the pest attack. This method would help in preserving farm produce by at least two years.

The scientists of the university had also come out with a technology for harvesting crops such as ragi and jowar, and had developed a cost-effective millet-processing unit.

Dr. Ranganna said that his department had come out with an innovative arecanut de-husker unit which was in demand in Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal and Kerala. Machines that were manually and mechanically operated to harvest maize, sunflower, and a single unit to harvest jowar, sunflower and groundnut had been released.

The scientists had also come out with a simple technology to add value to horticulture produce, Dr. Ranganna said.

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