Dependence of corn kernel strength on moisture

BACKGROUND: Moisture has an essential role at threshing of breeding material of corn, as when mois-ture is too low (material is dry) shattering of corn seed takes place while threshing and seed material becomes inapplicable to use, whereas increased moisture leads to underthreshing and microtraumas, invisible to the na-ked eye, that significantly reduces germination of the breeding material.

AIMS: To define dependence of corn kernel strength on moisture, to carry out an experiment to identify kernel fracture force.

METHODS: In this study the analysis of scientific researches, made by such scientists as G.K. Takoev, M.G. Golikov and N.S. Buddo who established dependences of corn shattering while corn cob threshing on corn moisture was carried out. The experimental data on study of corn kernel strength with various moisture at threshing by the Rostselmash NOVA 330 and the Claas Mega 370 combine harvesters is presented in the arti-cle and obtained with use of an oscillograph. Corn moisture has a significant impact on cob threshing quality. The scheme of the screw press, used for defining kernel fracture force, is shown in the article.

RESULTS: It is established that productive capacity of corn threshers reduces with increase of kernel moisture in cobs, leading to complication of threshers’ design. The experiments revealed that the kernel of the Krasnodarsky 425 MV hybrid corn with the moisture of 18.21% can withstand the average load of 108 N, whereas with the moisture of 29.28% the fracture force reduces to 90-100 N.

CONCLUSIONS: With the analysis of the obtained experimental data and after plotting corresponding graphs, it is proved that kern strength increases with corn kernel moisture decrease from 30% to 17%.