Rice is the staple food and main source of income for million people of the country. The crop is being grown in diverse ecosystem ranging the productivity from 1 to 7 ton/ha. At present post harvest losses are becoming a major threat for its cultivation and storage which may be caused due to biotic and a biotic stresses. If the post harvest losses are reduced the world supply can be increased by 30–40% without cultivating additional land or increasing any additional expenditure on seed, fertilizer, irrigation and plant protection measure to grow the crop. Keeping these facts in view, the presentation is therefore undertaken to study the post harvest losses of paddy in Madhya Pradesh in 2009. among the major factors responsible for causing losses in manual and bullock operated farms, maximum losses reported in harvesting (7.68kg/q) followed by threshing and winnowing (3.66kg/q), transportation (1.47kg/q), storage (1.10kg/q) and other activities (2.51kg/q). In machine operated farm (22.60kg/q) losses found under different categories. The magnitude of harvest and post harvest losses in small, medium and large size of farm were (16.33kg/q), (21.5kg/q) respectively. Susana G. castro (2006) also reported these findings.
Post harvest losses, eco-system, traditional, Madhaya Pradesh
