Dry aeration for seed rice

Abstract

This work was carried out to verify the behavior of the drying front and evaluate the effects of dry aeration upon rice seed quality. Seeds were dryed from 17.4% to 16.2 and 15.1% in intermittent dryer at 70oC and transferred to prototype bins with 5 m height and capacity of 100 kg, with air flows of 0.3; 0.6 and 0.9 m3/min/ton for each bin. Two samples were dryed in the intermittent dryer. For the evaluation of seed quality, tests of germination, seedling growth, first count of germination, accelerated aging, moisture content and milling quality were done. Drying was effective on 33; 43 and 50 days, for the air flows of 0.9; 0.6 and 0.3 m3/min/ton, respectively. The results allowed to conclude that: a) dry aeration method provides higher milling quality than intermittent drying method; b) dry aeration method does not affect physiological seed quality of rice immediately; c) dry aeration method can be used for drying rice seeds; d) during dry aeration process it is possible to transfer seeds with m.c. until 16.2% from the dryer to the bin.