Intermittence periods in corn seed drying process
Rafael de Oliveira Vergara André Fernandes Capilheira Gizele Ingrid Gadotti Francisco Amaral Villela
The high quality is a factor that must be assured in a corn seed production system. In order to achieve this, seeds are
harvested with high moisture content, and then artificially dried. However, the costs of this operation are high and may reduce the
profits. The objective of the present study was to evaluate, through the physiological quality, the possibility of using intermittence
periods for drying corn seeds on the cob in a stationary system. The seeds were harvested on the cob, close to the physiological
maturity stage, with an average moisture content of 35%. The treatments consisted of four periods of intermittence (3, 6 and 9
hours) and one period without intermittence. The seeds were stored for six months. To evaluate the physiological quality of the
seeds, germination, first germination, electrical conductivity, and the cold tests were performed. The experimental design was
completely randomized, in split plots. In a stationary drying system, periods of intermittence of up to 6 hours per day helped to
preserve the physiological quality of the corn seeds. The use of intermittence periods in the drying process provides corn seeds
with higher physiological quality and greater storage potential, in comparison with the continuous drying.
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