Quality of maize seeds harvested and husked at high moisture levels

Abstract

Harvest of maize seeds with high moisture levels has been recommended; nevertheless, after harvest, the ears undergo the process of husking and there is a need to assess the compatibility of these processes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of mechanical husking on the quality of maize seeds collected at high moisture levels. Dent BM 3061 hybrid maize seeds, manually collected from the ear, with moisture contents of 45%, 40% and 35%, and a 20/64 round sieve were used. The ears were mechanically husked (CWA machine, 312 rpm), dried in a stationary drier at 35 ⁰C until reaching 22% moisture, followed by drying at 42 ºC until reaching 12%. Then, they underwent shelling, followed by a chemical treatment with Maxin® + K-obiol® + Actellic®. Seed quality was assessed according to the occurrence tests of mechanical damage, first count, germination, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, average emergence time, electrical conductivity, accelerated aging, cold test, and seed health test at every quarter for 9 months. The mechanical husking affects maize seed quality, depending on the degree of seed moisture at harvest and on the material studied. This hybrid's seeds can be collected with seed moisture levels at 40% with the use of mechanical husking.