Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

H. Gremmel and H. Weingartmann:

Moisture determination for oilseed rape and oilseed sunflower

Part 1: Determination of the moisture loss curve for oilseed rape and sunflower seed

Summary

This research determined the moisture loss curves for rape and sunflower oilseed. Different temperatures (60° C, 80° C, 1030 C, 130° C) molsture content and seed sizes (for rapeseed only) were investigared for different varieties. A function was found for these curves and their parameters were estimated empirically. The moisture loss curves for different varieties, initial moisture contents and seed sizes did not show any significant difference. However there was a significant difference between different drying temperatures. Each characteristic moisture loss curve at 60° C, 80° C and 103° C drying temperature shows an initial steep slope and reaches depending on temperature more or less rapid a value of zero (= constant weight}. In contrast, the curve at 130 °C is steeply sloped initially and keeps rising till the end of the 96 h drying time. Key words:  oilseed rape, sunflower seed, drying, moisture content.