Abstract
Corn (or Maize) kernels may develop stress cracks due to internal stresses when subjected to moisture adsorbing or desorbing environments. Kernels with stress cracks break more readily than sound kernels during handling and transporting, and thereby reduce the quality and market value of the grain. Two varieties of yellow hybrid corn, Pioneer 3147 and Pioneer 3165, were used to study the development of stress cracks due to moisture adsorption and desorption. For the moisture adsorption study, corn kernels were initially equilibrated to three moisture levels of about 10, 12.5 and 15% and then were exposed to high relative humidity environments of 65, 75, 80, 92 and 100% for a period of 12 hours. Kernels were inspected for stress cracks during moisture adsorption. Results showed that grains equilibrated to about 10% moisture would fissure when exposed to either 75, 80, 92 or 100% relative humidity. The percentage of fissured kernels (PFK) increased as the exposure humidity increased with all of the kernels fissuring at 92 and 100% exposure humidity. The PFK decreased sharply as the initial moisture level increased with no kernels developing fissures when 15% moisture corn was exposed to the selected exposure humidities. The two varieties differed significantly in the development of stress cracks due to moisture adsorption.
Sarwar, Ghulam (1988). Environmental factors and physical properties that produce stress cracks in corn. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -785145.