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5 Harvest and Post Harvest of Corn

harvest and post-harvest management of corn

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jayannbungaggarcia
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129 views37 pages

5 Harvest and Post Harvest of Corn

harvest and post-harvest management of corn

Uploaded by

jayannbungaggarcia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HARVEST AND

POST-HARVEST OF
CORN
STEPS OF SEED CONDITIONING

Sorting Final
Harvesting Drying Shelling Drying
(cobs)

Seed Final Cleaning


Storage Bagging Treatment Sorting and
Grading
Definition
Physiological maturity
- required number of days of the corn to mature
- usually characterized by the presence of the black layer at the
base of the corn kernel
- evidence that there is no more food movement from the mother plant to
the kernel
Harvesting Practices

 Recommended full maturity

o Maturity indices

 Harvest in the shortest time possible

4
o Prevent damage and
contamination of corn ears with
soil
X
o Use clean mats, screens and/or
other suitable underlays


5
❑ sort-out and discard corn ears that show sign
of damage

6
HARVESTING

 Harvesting fully mature seed will result in


maximum yield, improved appearance of
seed, better seedling vigor in the
subsequent crop, greater resistance to
mechanical injury while handling in the
conditioning plant, and reduced
susceptibility to injury from high drying
temperatures.
HARVESTING
 Corn is ready for harvesting when black layer
developed at the grain’s point of attachment to
cob; kernels are glazed, leaves and husks are dry.
 To achieve good quality in most tropical areas,
harvest is done when the seeds has dried to 20-
25% level moisture content.
 90 – 95 DAP – for early variety
 100 – 110 DAP – for intermediate & late
maturing varieties
DRYING

1. Sun drying
 Dry the corn in cobs
to 18% Moisture
Content to facilitate
shelling.
 This can be done by
spreading the ears
out in thin layer on a
concrete floor and
turning them for 1-2
days.
DRYING

1. Mechanical Drying
 Drying in a bin with
forced heated air that
does not exceed 44⁰C
(110⁰F) is the normal
alternative.

Loading to mechanical bin


with the use of CONVEYOR
DRYING

BLOWER

FURNACE

MECHANICAL BINS
IMPORTANCE OF SEED DRYING

 Numerous workers have pointed out that high


moisture in seed is the major factor causing
deterioration of viability and vigor during
storage.

 The excess moisture causes heating and mold


growth both of which are very detrimental to
quality.
SORTING ( in cobs)

 In this operation, ears are visually examined to


identify any off-types, diseased, or damaged
ears.

 It is an essential step in quality control and it is


important that workers selected are well-trained
and dedicated to this operation.
SORTING ( in cobs)

Sorting or removal of off-types, discolored, rotten or


diseased ears is done after drying if bin drying is used.
SHELLING

 Shelling is normally done when the seed


reaches 14 to 16% moisture. Rubberized
sheller or hand shelling reduces seed damage.

 Damage can occur when moisture content of


the cob is high (35% or more) during
mechanical shelling.
SHELLING
FINAL DRYING
 Corn seeds will be finally dried
until grain moisture reaches 10-
12% Moisture Content.
FINAL DRYING
1. Sundrying
 Spread out the seeds on top of trapal and not directly
on the cement floor.
 Drying directly on cement floor is not recommended due
to high temperature (50 –70°C).
FINAL DRYING

2. Mechanical Drying

 the load should not exceed 24 inches thick.


 the temperature of the bin should not
exceed ______.
CLEANING, GRADING and FINAL
SORTING
 Seed maize leaving the sheller often contains
varying amounts of foreign material including
bits of cob, husk, broken kernels, stones, dirt,
weed seeds, insect larvae, etc.
 This debris must be removed to improve seed
appearance, and to promote good storability
and plantability.
 For small volume of seeds, a modified electric
fan blower can be done.
CLEANING, GRADING and FINAL
SORTING
 Blowing/winnowing is still effective.
 For big volume of seeds, air screen cleaner
help removes broken kernels, dirt, trash, cob
pieces; and separates big and small kernels.
 Maize seed is sized based on width, thickness,
and sometimes length through a series of flat
or cylindrical metal screens which possess
either round or oblong holes.
CLEANING, GRADING and FINAL
SORTING
SEED TREATMENT
 Malathion or Decis plain can control weevil or "bokbok".
 Ridomil can be used for seed treatment to control fungi
"alkoheris“ or downy mildew.
 CHEMICALS FOR SEED TREATMENT
 Ridomil - 2 g/kg of corn seeds
 Decis - 0.11 ml/kg of corn seeds
 Malathion - 1 ml/kg of corn seeds
◼ + Rosa Pink - 0.375 g/kg of corn seeds
◼ H2O - 4 ml/kg of corn seeds
SEED TREATMENT

Treated Seeds
BAGGING

 The final step in the conditioning process is the packaging


of seed.

 A seed package accomplishes several essential functions


including:
 Serving as a convenient unit for handling transport and
storage,
BAGGING
 Protecting seed against contamination and
mechanical damage,

 Providing a suitable environment for storage,

 Providing a barier against seed loss and escape


of pesticides, and

 Serving as a sales promoter (Thompsom, 1979).


BAGGING
 Woven plastic bags are commonly used.
 An 18 kg seed weight per bag is now a practice
with approximately 55,555 - 60,000 kernels.
STORAGE

 Seed moisture content and temperature are the two


most important factors influencing seed storability
(Delouche, 1973).

 Seed biological activity increase as seed moisture


content and temperature increase.
STORAGE
 Growth and reproduction of undesirable seed
molds and storage insects are increased under
higher moisture and temperature conditions.

 As seeds have the ability to take up or give off


moisture, it is essential to store them in environments
with low relative humidity.
HARRINGTON’S “RULE OF THUMB”
 This rule states that for proper seed storage the
relative humidity percentage and the storage
temperature in degrees F should add up to no
more than 100.

 Examples
◼ 50% relative humidity (RH) and 50 ºF
or
◼ 60% RH and 40 oF, etc.
STORAGE
 Storage areas should be kept clean and free
from insects and rodents.
 Seed stored for one or two year requires 18-
20oC and relative humidity of 60-70%.
 Lower temperature and relative humidity are
required for storing seeds more than two
years.
STORAGE
❑ prevent re-wetting of dry corn grains
❑ prevent entry of insects, birds and rodents;
and
❑ provide good ventilation to the stored corn
-Maintain MC to 13-14 % or lower for
buffer stocks
-Follow the first-in first-out (FIFO) principle
STORAGE

Commercial Seed Storage


Capacity: 90 tons
Grade requirement for shelled corn
Standard quality grade requirements on corn grits
Traditional Storage Practices

 1. Ash Seed Treatment

 Studies in sorghum seeds treated with ash with


a ratio of 1 part ash : 4 parts sorghum mixed
together and stored in air tight jute sacks
showed there was no pest problem within six
months.
Thank You!

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