IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENT
IN
POST HARVEST HANDLING AND SEED TECHNOLOGY

REACTION PAPER
(UNIT IV: Processing Plant Operations for Durables)

Submitted to:
MONTECARLO N. ABELLAR
Instructor

Submitted by:
Matthew F. Bianes

BSA 4A GENERAL AGRICULTURE

The removal of excess moisture from grain is known as drying. Complete or

near complete removal of moisture is termed dehydration. Drying is also referred

to as a process of simultaneous heat and moisture transfer. Drying is an effective

method of preserving the quality of the grains in the sense that excess moisture

is removed quickly so that deterioration will not set in. Drying also permits timely

scheduling of harvest to make better use of labor and avoid losses caused by

shattering, insect attack, and aflatoxin contamination. It also prolongs the shelf

life of the grain and at the same time maintains the viability of seeds. In rice,

drying within 24 hours after harvest is the best means of controlling mold

infestation. Each day of delay in drying increased the risk of paddy deterioration.

II. Discussion

Drying of farm produce is achieved either by conventional sundrying or

artificial means. In corn, drying is done in two operations regardless of the drying

method used. These are drying the cobs with or without husk, and drying the

shelled grains. In rice, drying is either by conventional sundrying or artificial

means.

Conventional Sundrying. Most traders and millers rely on sundrying

because it is cheaper and requires no special skills. Essentially, it is a natural

method of drying since it relies mainly on solar energy and natural air movement.

Dehusked corn ear, as well as shelled corn, are dried by spreading the

material evenly and thinly on concrete floors, plastic canvass sheets, bamboo

mats, etc. This takes about 1-3 days to dry depending on the initial moisture

content and the weather conditions. The final moisture content is about 18-20

percent for husked corn ear and about 14 percent w.b. for shelled corn. In rice,

drying is facilitated by occasional mixing or turning of the grain. When farmers

sell their product wet or in partially dried condition, the responsibility of drying the
commodities to their final moisture content is passed on to the traders and

millers.

Another sun drying practice is suspending in rows on bamboo poles the

bundled corn ears with the husk opened to expose the kernels. This is commonly

called the “halayhay” method used for drying grains for seed purposes. Drying is

accomplished by natural ventilation while in storage. The rate and uniformity of

drying in this method depend on the moisture content, relative humidity, and the

wind velocity in the area. The extent by which the air could pass through and

circulate in the corn ear’s interspace also contributes to the effectiveness of the

drying process. Because of longer drying period, grain deterioration, sprouting

and molding occur even before drying is completed.

Artificial/Mechanical drying. An artificial dryer makes use of heated forced

air for quick drying of grains. The ambient air is artificially heated to increase its

temperature and reduce its relative humidity. The temperature of hot air varies

depending on the intended use of the dried grain. Grains for seed purposes are

dried with air temperature of 43°C (100°F). The temperature for drying corn grain

for food and feed purposes could reach as high as 65°℃ (149°F). For rice or

paddy, air temperatures not exceeding 43.3°℃ (110°F for seed purposes and

54.4℃ (130°F) for milling purpose are used.

Mechanical drying is found to be more advantageous than sundrying

in/meeting the drying requirements during the peak harvest of the wet season

crop (mainly because of weather condition). Besides, artificial dryers are more

flexible, reliable, and allow faster drying to minimize the risk of grain spoilage.

They also have the advantage of timeliness in the drying operation, reduced

handling losses, maintenance of grain quality and better control of the drying

process.

Basically, artificial dryers consist of a holding bin, blower, burner, and air

directing. Auxiliary equipment, such as elevators and conveyors, are also used
for high capacity units. The choice of the type of dryer for a particular drying

operation depends on several factors such as the drying capacity needed, ease

in installation and operation, portability , fuel heat source and the initial cost

acquisition.

1. Batch-type dryer

In batch-type dryer, corns, grain or paddy is contained in a bin or

compartment and hot air is forced through the grain mass until the desired

moisture content is attained. Batch dryers can be the flat-bed type or the

circular bin type. Examples of batch dryer for shelled corn/corn ear:

a. UPLB-flat-bed dryer (3000 cfn or 85 m /min)

b. Reversible flow batch-type dryer (7000 cfm or 198 m /min)

c. African Brooks - pit type dryer Examples of batch dryer for paddy

d. Circular bin batch dryer

2. Continuous-flow dryers

Large-scale commercial grain processing plants or centers employ the

contiuous flow drying process of the large drying capacity requirements of

these centers.

This system has an advantage over the batch type dryers because of (1)

shorter drying time, (2) large volume of paddy handled, and (3) more uniform

drying of the grains. This system involves the movement of both the drying air

and the grains either crossflow or counter-current flow manner. The most

commonly used types are the LSU type and the columnar type which may be

of the mixing or non-mixing type.

Columnar dryers use large airflow rates per ton of grains. It is a

recirculating batch dryer with higher drying capacity. It has a higher drying air

temperature of 60-80°℃ (140-176F). The drying column has perforated metal

sheets on both sides allowing a grain layer thickness of 50 cm across which

air flow.
 The LSU dryer appears offers the largest drying capacity of 1-10 tons per

hour. Drying of large volumes of wet grains is done buy exposing the grains to

a high temperatùre of about 66'C. Depending on the initial moisture content,

several passes (2-5 passes) of 15 to 30 - minute exposure per pass is

required to complete the drying. After each pass, the grain is transferred to

tempering bins to allow cooling and migration of moisture to the grain surface

before the next pass. Tempering periods range from four to eight hours.

III. Reaction

Drying, or dehydration, is a crucial post-harvest process to preserve

agricultural products, reducing moisture content to inhibit bacterial, fungal and

enzymatic spoilage. Various methods cater to different products and desired

outcomes.

The heat that provided by the sun has a huge help in reducing the moisture of

the grains as it doesn’t require machineries or other equipment and it is very cost-

effective. But the weather conditions is unpredictable, it may affect the quality of

thee grain if not managed properly. Artificial dryer can be a solution for this, it is

reliable, more flexible and can minimize spoilage. The only downside of this is, it

may be expensive for the small-scale farmer and the maintenance of the

equipment.