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Breakage Susceptibility of Corn Kernels in Relation to Crop Management under Long Growing Season Conditions

Dep. of Crop Science, Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
Dep. of Plant Science, Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2

^* Corresponding author.

Corn (Zea mays L.) kernels are subject to breakage during postharvest handling. Manipulation of crop management factors has influenced kernel breakage susceptibility, but the effects of hybrid, plant density, harvest moisture content, and drying temperature on breakage susceptibility have not been studied under long growing season conditions. Field experiments were conducted in 1985 and 1986 at Ridgetown, Ontario. Five commercial hybrids were grown at different plant densities (5.5 and 7.0 plants m^–2 in both years, and 6.3 plants m^–2 in 1985), harvested at 300 and 240 g kg^–1 moisture content (wet basis), and dried at different air temperatures (20, 40, and 80°C in 1985; 20 and 100°C in 1986) to approximately 150 g kg^–1 moisture content. A Wisconsin breakage tester was used to measure breakage susceptibility. Small increases in breakage were consistently associated with increased plant densities. Reductions in breakage were sometimes associated with lower grain moisture content at harvest. The largest and most consistent changes in breakage susceptibility were due to changes in drying temperatures. Increased drying temperatures resulted in increased breakage, but there was variation among the hybrids in the size of the response. The results indicate that breakage susceptibility is an inherited trait that is also influenced by crop management. Kernel breakage can be reduced by proper choice of hybrids, drying at low air temperature, and harvesting at low grain moisture content. In both years, increased breakage susceptibility was related to higher levels of endosperm stress cracks, tendency towards roundness in shape, and increased levels of harvest damage in the form of visible chips or cracks.

Received for publication September 30, 1987.