Biophysical and Mechanical properties of rice varieties: attributes to losses in post harvest processing

Abstract

The work showcases that at moisture content range (15 - 18%) wb, the compressive force against natural position of the grains were also determined and consideration of variation in natural position of rice grain at rest during compression gave representative apparent compressive strength across the five varieties. It requires about 25N for the rice grain (IITA306) to fail at 0.7mm at horizontal and 150N to crack the rice grain in vertical position at 21.0mm, it takes 60N for the rice grain (MAS) to fail at 1.4mm and 150N to crack the rice grain at 22.5mm as well as 58N for the rice grain (R18) to fail at 1.2mm and 125N to crack the rice grain at 20mm, as such 13N for the rice grain (SML) to fail at 0.93mm and 110N to crack the rice grain at 23.5mm as well as 21N for the rice grain (R15) to fail at 0.65mm and 200N to crack the rice grain at 22.5mm respectively. Therefore, losses during rice processing operations are specific. It is advisable to handle a particular rice variety uniquely since losses are variety specific.

Keywords: biophysical, mechanical properties, rice varieties, processing, post-harvest losses