Abstract

Chickpea, Cicer arietinum L. is one of the major pulses grown in Ethiopia and provides an important source of food and nutritional security for the rural poor. However; chickpea seeds are heavily damage by bruchids and suffer heavy loss in quantity and quality. This study was conducted to determine the effects of different storage treatments on proximate properties of stored improved and local chickpea varieties over six months of storage. Seeds of local varieties (desi) and improved habru variety (kabuli) chickpeas were treated with cow dung ash, leaf powders of basil, leaf powder of neem, and Malathion dust to control the bruchid. Levels of the proximate compositions of the seeds were evaluated at the initial and the end of storage. The storage treatments significantly (p<0.05) influenced the proximate composition over the six months of storage. Crude fat, seed moisture and carbohydrate of chickpea decreased over six months of storage. The levels of crude protein, ash and crude fiber on the other hand increased over the storage period. The eco-friendly storage treatments (herbal powders and the cow dung ash) maintained the nutrient composition of the chickepea cultivars in addition to controlling the bruchids.

Key words: Basil leaf powder, bruchid beetle, cow dung ash, bruchids management, neem leaf powder, malathion dust.