Effect of postharvest handling of shallots in supporting the sustainability of the availability of shallot seeds

The need for shallots in Indonesia is increasing every year. Consequently, the sustainability of the availability of shallot seeds is a very important for the fulfillment of the production. The availability of qualified seed is determined by how well the postharvest handling is done by the farmers. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the postharvest handling by practiced the farmers to ensure the availability of shallot seeds. The research was done at a shallot farmer group which was the most advanced in postharvest handling in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It was found that the harvest age for seeds ranged from 56-70 days after planting (45-83%), of which 30-60% yielded for seeds. Drying by laying on the ground surface was 68-90%, for 7-8 days (60%). All farmers applied pesticides to the seeds before storage. Yield loss during storage was about 30-60% (78% of respondents). These findings concluded that the postharvest activities practiced by the farmers were not optimal yet, this condition threatened the sustainability of the availability of shallot seeds. Therefore, to maintain the availability of the shallot seeds, it was necessary to improve postharvest activities.