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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Grain Quality and Structure Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167020
Title: STORABILITY MEASUREMENT OF SHELLED CORN

Author
item MOOG, DALE - PURDUE UNIV
item STROSHINE, RICHARD - PURDUE UNIV
item Seitz, Larry
item PAULSEN, MARVIN - UNIV OF ILLINOIS
item WOLOSHUK, CHARLES - PURDUE UNIV

Submitted to: Agricultural Research International Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2004
Publication Date: 7/19/2004
Citation: Moog, D.J., Stroshine, R.L., Seitz, L.M., Paulsen, M.R., Woloshuk, C.P. 2004. Storability measurement of shelled corn. Proceedings of the International Quality Grains Conference. July 19-22, 2004. Indianapolis, IN. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The following factors were investigated as indicators of shelled corn storability: kernel damage, carbon dioxide production of rewetted grain (measured with a CO2 test kit); percent germination; electrolyte leakage accompanying soaking in deionized water; percent kernel infection; ergosterol content; and both Near Infrared Reflectance (NIR) and Fourier Transform-NIR measurements. A total of 49 samples of shelled corn were tested. The CO2 test kit revealed a wide range in CO2 evolution rate among the samples, and indication that the samples differed in storability. The expectations regarding storability, based on storage history, were consistent with CO2 kit measurements. Linear regression was used to examine the correlations between ergosterol level or percent kernel infection and each of the other measures. Ergosterol level was significantly correlated (alpha = 0.05) with germination (r squared = 0.14), electrolyte leakage at 10 min (r squared = 0.13) and electrolyte leakage at 15 min (r squared = 0.12) and its correlation with percent kernel infection (r squared = 0.25) was highly significant (alpha = 0.01). Percent kernel infection was significantly correlated with germination (r squared = 0.28). None of the remaining relationships were statistically significant. Both NIR and FT-NIR were able to predict ergosterol levels in the samples of shelled corn with a standard error of about 1.2 to 1.3 ppm. Both the 48-hour and 72-hour CO2 test kit results were significantlly correlated (alpha = 0.05) with ergosterol level and percent kernel infection (0.12 < r squared < 0.33) with slightly higher correlations for the 72 hour readings. Much stronger correlations were obtained when CO2 kit color readings were compared to the difference between the initial and final ergosterol levels in the CO2 test kit samples (r squared = 0.73).