Changes in Physical Characteristics of Fresh Tikhur (Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.) Rhizomes during Ambient Storage

Tikhur (Curcuma angustifolia Roxb.) is a starch-bearing rhizomatous species used for traditional food preparations in parts of India. Changes in the physical properties of intact fresh rhizomes during ambient storage remain insufficiently characterised. This study examined rhizome weight, length, diameter, volume, moisture content and batch-level physiological weight loss at 1, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 days after harvest. The investigation was conducted during 2025–2026 at Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, using a completely randomised design with three replications per storage interval. Ten rhizomes were measured within each replication, with separate rhizomes sampled at successive intervals. Across the sampled treatment groups, mean rhizome weight declined from 26.50 to 15.00 g (43.40%), length from 9.46 to 7.91 cm (16.38%), diameter from 1.77 to 1.55 cm (12.43%), and volume from 22.70 to 14.67 cm³ (35.37%). Wet-basis moisture content decreased from 77.48% to 71.39%, whereas the reported batch physiological weight loss reached 21.00% at day 30. The between-group comparison of individual rhizome weight and the within-batch physiological weight-loss measure represent different quantities. The findings document storage-associated variation in measured physical characteristics under the ambient conditions examined and provide a basis for more closely controlled investigations of fresh tikhur storage.