Behavior of Wet Corn Stored With Aeration

Abstract

Conduct aeration in a wet holding bin reduces from additional investing in oversized dryers and avoid the heating of the grain mass while the drying operation is awaited. From this assumption, the temperature behavior, the moisture content and the development of molds were studied during 6 days of continuous aeration of corn (Zea mays L.) in a laboratory scale wet holding bin. A flow of 0,60 m3min-1m-2 of air in ambient conditions was blown into a mass of corn of 125 kg with initial moisture content and average temperature of 17,76% (w.b.) and 37,95 ºC, respectively. The temperature was measured with thermocouples and recorded on a data acquisition system; the moisture content was analyzed at he beginning and after six days of aeration by the oven standard-method at 105 ± 3 ºC and for 24 hours; health tests were carried out by the blotter test method. all data was obtained for the superior (A), intermediate (B) and inferior (C) layers of the grain mass. The aeration period required so that the average temperature of the grain mass passed from 37,95 ºC to 20 ºC was of 2 days. During the other days, the temperature remained fairly stable around 21 ºC. Only the grains in layer A kept the initial average moisture content, in the other layers, B and C there was a reduction of this moisture content after six days of aeration, according to the Tukey test. The average values of moisture content in the layers A, B and C were respectively 16.99%, 15.13% and 13.88%. By Tukey test for comparison of means, we can say that there is evidence that the mold Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp. and Fusarium spp. showed no significant development in grains of corn stored under aeration in the period of 6 days.