Drying of soybean seeds in a radial air flow dryer. II. Effects on seed quality

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the influence of combinations of air flows (26.9, 28.4 and 33.2 m(3)/minute/ton) and temperatures (42, 46 and 50 degrees C) on soybean seeds quality submitted to a stationary drying process with radial air distribution considering differents seed positions in the seed mass (17, 34 and 51 cm in relation to the insuflation cylinder) and four sampling periods of four hour intervals. Besides temperature and moisture content of seed mass, physiological seed quality was evaluated at the beginning and after a period of six months storage. Although the combination of the intermediates air flow and temperature (28.4 m(3)/minute/ton and 46 degrees C) had been physically advantageous, the seed quality was less impaired by the combinations of the smaller air flows (26.9 and 28.4 m(3)/minute/ton) with the highest temperature (50 degrees C) and the highest air flow (33.2 m(3)/minute/ton) with the smaller temperatures (42 and 46 degrees C). Among those, the association of 28.4 m(3)/min/ton with 50 degrees C was the most efficient in the watertaking of seeds. Thus, admitting the air flow intervals between 26.9 and 33.2 m(3)/minute/ton and temperature from 42 to 50 degrees C, it is possible to conclude that increasing of air flow requests decreasing of temperature, and increasing of temperature requests decreasing of the air flow.