The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of treatments and packaging on the quality of dried carrot slices during storage. Carrot cultivar 'Nantes' was sliced into 4.5 mm thick slices which were blanched in water at 95°C for 4 min followed by dipping in 6% potassium metabisulphite (KMS) solution for 40 min and 350 ppm potassium sorbate solution for 10 min prior to two stage phase drying i.e. at 90±5°C for 2 h and further drying at 60±5°C for 7 h in a cross-flow hot air cabinet dryer. The dried carrot slices were packed in 50 g packages of aluminium foil laminate (AFL) (polyethylene, aluminium foil and polyester) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) pouches having 32.5 μm and 56.0 μm thickness respectively and stored under ambient conditions i.e.18.5-29.1°C temperature and 44.4-60.4% relative humidity for 6 months. Significant (p≤0.05) increase was observed in the moisture content, water activity, reducing sugars and non-enzymatic browning while total solids, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, pectin, rehydration ratio, sulphur dioxide, sorbic acid and carotenoids decreased significantly (p≤0.05) during storage. Carrot slices pretreated with 6% KMS and packed in AFL pouches were found to retain best physico-chemical quality. The curried product and soup prepared from dried slices from the same had highly acceptable sensory quality with initial overall acceptability scores 8.2 and 8.5 for curried slices and soup respectively on 9-point hedonic scale. The overall acceptability scores decreased from 8.2 to 7.9 and 8.5 to 7.7 in curried product and soup respectively after 6 months storage. All the samples were microbially safe during 6 months of storage.

Cost-free surge irrigation method was tested involving two amendments of Farm Yard Manure (FYM) and Raw Coconut Fibre Waste (RCFW) @ 12.5 t ha in sunflower crop. The cultivar was Co.2 raised with a spacing of 60 x 230 x 30 cm under double row planting. Cost-free surge irrigation includes waste aluminium sheets of off-set press made into inlet pipes of 52 x 6 cm and placed in the head channel to draw the water. The designed rate of flow was I Ips and the 'ON-OFF time was 10 minutes. The study revealed that the available soil moisture (ASM) was higher in the head and gradually decreased upto third sector and again increased in the fourth sector. Available soil moisture status was higher under RCFW as compared to FYM. There was not much difference in depletion pattern between surge and continuous flow. There was a marked reduction in the moisture status in third sector (51-75 M). Under farmers' method the depletion pattern did not vary as compared to surge or continuous flow. Soil moisture depletion was faster during the initial periods and was slowed down during later periods.

In this paper an attempt has been made to study overview of microwave dielectric behaviour of vegetable-based soil of Chhattisgarh. Soils are complex mixture of minerals, air, organic matter, and countless organisms. The properties of soil such as physical properties, chemical properties, geographical properties are really important in production of vegetables. Moisture content is very important parameters for the production of vegetable. Dielectric constant depends upon the percentage of moisture content in the soil. Humid climates sufficient for growing of vegetables crops. Optimum vegetables can produce in well-drained sandy loam soil.

No abstract