Moisture Content and High Temperature in Relation to the Germination of Corn and Wheat Grains

Abstract

The temp. required to kill in a 2 hr. period 75% of the grains of Reid''s Yellow Dent corn, Longfellow Flint corn and Kanred wheat at water contents varying from below 10% to above 70% was determined. The water contents of both the whole grain and the embryo alone were determined. The higher the water content the lower the killing temp. Thus for Reid''s Yellow Dent corn with a water content of 5.2% it required 80[degree] C. applied for 2 hrs. to kill 75% of the grains while 57[degree] was sufficient at a water content of 30.5%. Plotting water contents against killing temperatures curves are obtained similar in general to those showing the relation between the water content of albumen and its coagulation temp. The curve showing the moisture content of Flint corn plotted against the death temp. is smooth; for the Dent corn and wheat grains a break in the curve occurs at the water content present at germination.