Stress Cracks and Breakage in Artificially Dried Corn

Report Introduction: The growing mechanization of American agriculture includes use of the field sheller for harvesting corn. Field-shelled corn generally is too moist for ordinary storage without artificial drying. Increased use of artificial drying has paralleled the increased use of field shellers. Artificially dried corn presents new problems to corn millers, grain warehousemen, and grain exporters. This publication, which replaces AMS-434, "Stress Cracks in Artificially Dried Corn," reports on both the formation of stress cracks and increased breakage susceptibility in artificially dried corn. Stress cracks are fissures in the endosperm, or starchy inside of the kernel; the seed coat is not ruptured. Corn that is susceptible to breakage accumulates additional fine material each time it is handled. Since the fine material is included as foreign material in the grading standard, breakage contributes to downgrading of corn. Cracked and broken kernels within batches of corn make aeration difficult and invite attacks by molds and insects. The work reported here is part of a continuing USDA-Purdue University research effort to develop improved methods and techniques for holding down costs and losses in marketing artificially dried corn.