ELIMINATION OF MICROFLORA FROM BARLEY KERNELS WITH ETHYLENE OXIDE

Abstract

Microbial contaminants of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) kernels were killed by a mixture of 12% ethylene oxide and 88% dichlorodifluoromethane applied at room temperature in a canister for 3 h at a pressure of 3.0–3.3 atm. The treatment was effective with kernels that contained 10.9–12.6% moisture. After exposure of such kernels to gas, 94–100% were contaminant-free; 59–99% germinated. Results were less satisfactory with: (a) ethylene oxide applied to barley kernels with moisture content less than 10%; (b) ethylene oxide applied to kernels of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or oats (Avena sativa L.) with 3.0–12.6% moisture; or (c) propylene oxide applied to barley kernels at 5.3–13.2% moisture. With proper control of moisture content, the ethylene oxide method is recommended for those lots of barley kernels that are difficult to free of microbial contaminants by other methods.