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The Vapor‐Pressure or Relative Humidity Approach to Moisture‐Testing for Safe Farm‐Storage of Harvested Crops 1
Author(s) -
Dexter S. T.
Publication year - 1955
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1955.00021962004700060008x
Subject(s) - citation , relative humidity , state (computer science) , agricultural science , mathematics , horticulture , environmental science , agronomy , library science , computer science , geography , meteorology , biology , algorithm
The determination of $@he proper degree, of drying to permit safe storage has been more of an art than a science, and the techniques learned have 'been passed on 'from one generation of farmers to the next. Hay is twisted, smelled, rattled, or scratched with the fingernail, while grain may be bitten or chewed to estimate moisture content and the probafbility of safe storage. Many efforts have been made over the years to devise simple, more reliable mebhods to estimate the storacbility of produce on @he farm and hundreds of papers (1) might be cited of studies concerning storabili'ty. In general, the moisture percentage in 'the sample has been related to the spoilage in storage. However, it was soon learned, for example, that flax seed at 13% moisture was much too wet for storage, while white beans at the same moisture were consideraibly drier than was necessary. Hay might 'be stored as loose, long hay at 25% moisture, but if allowed to pack wibhout "mowing away" it would hea't and mdld. 'Chopped hay might keep without molding everywhere except where i,t had 'been tramped upon. Moisture contents required for safe storage ranged widely, depending upon the nature of the material or the storage conditions.