Intermittence periods in corn seed drying process

Abstract

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.