Engineering properties of high and low altitude rice varieties from Kashmir valley at different processing levels

Abstract

The knowledge of engineering properties such as gravimetrical properties (1,000 grain mass, bulk density, true density, and porosity), dimensional properties (length, width, thickness, aspect ratio, surface area, geometric mean diameter, and sphericity), frictional properties (angle of repose and coefficient of friction), and aerodynamic properties (drag coefficient and terminal velocity) are necessary parameters related to machine design for different agricultural process operations such as handling, harvesting, threshing, cleaning, conveying, sorting, drying, processing, and storage. India is a vast country and contributes 20% of the total world’s rice production with cultivars ranging from the scented long grain ones to the sticky short grains. The Kashmir valley cultivates mainly short–medium bold varieties as temperate conditions in the valley are not suitable for the cultivation of long grain scented basmati rice. The most steps in cultivation and postharvest processing are manual and the aim of this work is to emphasize which variety sustains the processing steps to produce high yield quality rice for strengthening the economic conditions of the people.