ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

A Breakage Susceptibility Tester for Single Grains

Kim TH, Opara LU, Hardacre AK, Hampton JG, MacKay BR

Institute of Technology and Engineering, Massey University, Palmerston North, Crop & Food Research Institute, Palmerston North, NZ Seed Technology Institute, Lincoln University, LincolndInstitute of Natural Resources, Massey University

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บทคัดย่อ

A breakage tester suitable for studying the breakage susceptibility of single grains was developed and evaluated using grains at various temperatures and times after drying . The breakage of maize grain was very sensitive to the grain temperature at the time of testing . Both a hard and a soft maize hybrid had minimal breakage at high grain temperatures (78 to 110 o C ). Decreasing grain temperature increased breakage in maize grain exponentially, however, there was no significant difference in the percentage breakage between the two hybrids after drying at various drying temperatures and cooling at ambient temperature . Initially, the percentage breakage of the two maize hybrids increased rapidly within 10 minute after drying at both 60 o C and 120 o C, reaching asymptotes ( i . e . , the highest values of percentage breakage in the prediction curves ) after about 10 minutes cooling at ambient temperature . Initial grain breakage was significantly higher at 60 o C drying, but the asymptote was significantly higher at 120 o C drying . Based on the results of this study, a possible mechanism of stress cracking in maize grain after high temperature drying is discussed .