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Storage of
sunflower seeds
PhD
Photo ©
Dr. Oleksii Orlov
Storage of
commercial oilseed sunflower seeds (for the subsequent production of
sunflower oil) is much more difficult than storage of cereal grains
crops (wheat, barley and corn), since sunflower seeds are more
susceptible to deterioration in quality and during storage it is more
difficult to control pests.
The storage of oilseeds
and sunflower seeds in particular requires a planned approach, careful
management and a suitable storage system.
Next, we will look at
simple principles that will allow you to preserve the quality of sunflower
seeds during storage. These principles also apply to the storage of other
oilseeds: rapeseed, mustard, flax and soybeans.
Sunflower growers must
use air drying and cooling to successfully manage seed moisture and
temperature during harvest, post-harvest processing and storage of sunflower
seeds.
Also, the quality of
sunflower oil is highly dependent on the storage conditions of sunflower
seeds.
Since the quality of
seeds and fat in them depends on the storage conditions.
Key requirements for storage and drying of
sunflower seeds:
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air drying
and cooling provides high-quality storage of sunflower seeds in
wide ranges of humidity and
ambient temperatures
-
optimum
humidity for storing oilseed sunflower seeds with an oil content
of 40% - about 9%
-
optimum
humidity for storing sunflower seeds with an oil content of ≥50%
- about 7.5%
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the moisture
content of sunflower seeds can be reduced by 2-3% or more per
week (depending on the ambient temperature, its humidity and the
presence of wind), when drying in the open air (usually under a
canopy)
Photo ©
Dr. Oleksii Orlov
After harvesting, sunflower seeds
are dried and cleaned of impurities under a covered canopy, Ukraine. So the
seeds can be dried in dry weather, when the air is dry and warm
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for drying
and aeration in the silo, it is necessary to have a fan /
aerator with an air flow rate of more than 15 liters per second
per ton (l/s/t), while cooling the seeds with air requires an
air flow of 2 to 4 l/s/t.
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air cooling
of sunflower seeds, can reduce the temperature of the seeds when
stored by more than 10°C for two to three days
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the quality
of the sunflower oil contained in the seeds can only be
maintained at a constant level if the drying and cooling with
air is properly controlled
In the case of sunflower
production in areas of insufficient and medium
moisture, it is imperative to provide for the possibility of installing a
drying on the farm.
Also, the presence of
drying is important if pre-harvest desiccation is carried out and the
sunflower is harvested with high humidity.
Also, high moisture
content of sunflower will be at an early start of harvesting.
Sunflower seeds cleaning
The main task when
setting up harvesters and post-harvest cleaning of sunflower seeds is to
bring the contamination to standard indicators (in
cleaned sunflower seeds, a garbage admixture is allowed - no more
than 1%), therefore, to achieve such indicators, mechanical impurities,
plant residues, etc. should be removed...
Before cleaning, in dry
weather, sunflower seeds are dried under well-ventilated canopies. Leakage
of water is not allowed.
In this case, the mass
of sunflower seeds should be well ventilated, and should not be heated from
the inside.
To improve the drying
conditions, the sunflower seeds are constantly
moved and cleaned from light impurities using various machines for cleaning
and moving grain.
Photo ©
Dr. Oleksii Orlov
When drying sunflower seeds under a
canopy, they are constantly moved for drying and cleaning from lightweight
impurities using grain throwers. In the photo ZM-60
For primary cleaning,
various machines for grain cleaning are used:
Petkus, Cimbria, etc..
Seeds
cleaners: on the left - Petkus V 12 (petkus.de) on the right - Cimbria Mega
Cleaner (cimbria.com). Can be an integral part of complexes for cleaning and
drying of sunflower seeds
It is
economically feasible to create a complex (plant) on the basis of
the farm, which would combine: primary cleaning, drying and
automatic transportation of grain to the storage location.
If sunflower
seeds come from the field are wet, then they are first dried,
together with all the impurities, and only after drying, they are
cleaned of impurities.
It is necessary
to constantly maintain the temperature regime of drying, and not to
allow the seeds to overheat more than 55 ° C.
When drying
varietal sunflower seeds
that will be prepared for sowing, drying modes
should be even softer...
Containers for drying varietal
sunflower seeds
Most
of modern dryers operate in automatic mode, which allows you to set
the most optimal parameters for drying of
sunflower seeds.
Under existing
conditions, most farmers prefer to create special complexes for grain
processing, including: a dryer, machines for primary cleaning of seeds,
bunkers for aeration, storage bins for cleaned seeds, conveyors, etc.
After drying, the
sunflower seeds are moved to the storage location using a
frontal loader tractor (it is better to use
a front loader with a bucket of 3-4 m3) and a dump truck, a
tractor with a trailer, or using automatic conveyors, which is most
expedient and profitable from an economic point of view.
Photo source
Petkus
Conveyors allow you to move the cleaned
and dried sunflower seeds to a storage location.
In the photo: conveyor for grain Petkus ТКF 200 / TKF 300
Photo source
GRDC
Also, to move sunflower seeds (loading and unloading), you can use special
mobile conveyors of various types. Pictured is a mobile conveyor for loading
seeds into a silo
Drying and cooling of sunflower seeds using aeration.
In conditions where the
harvesting humidity does not differ much from the basic indicators required
for storage in silos or warehouses that are equipped with forced ventilation
(aeration), then after preliminary cleaning, sunflower seeds can be loaded
into the silo for storage and regular ventilation until the required
indicators of moisture and temperature of seeds.
Photo source
GRDC
Fan / aerator built into a small silo
Photo source
CHRIS WARRICK,
KONDININ GROUP
Fan / aerator attached to steel silo
Usually, for storage and
aeration of sunflower seeds, silos are used, equipped with special fans that
pump air into the silo.
The
air, passing through the mass of sunflower seeds that
is in the silo, promotes the evaporation of moisture from the seeds and
cools it.
Photo ©
Dr. Oleksii Orlov
Silo aeration scheme. When using
aeration, the air passing through the silo helps to remove moisture and
reduce the temperature of the entire mass of seeds stored in the silo.
For long-term storage
of sunflower seeds, various silos are used: made of concrete or steel.
Photo ©
Dr. Oleksii Orlov
Concrete silos are strong and durable
compared to metal silos, but the costs of their construction or
reconstruction are much higher
It is better to equip
silos with special sensors that automatically measure temperature and
humidity, which makes it possible to quickly respond to any changes in seed
storage parameters.
Periodically (every 1-2
months), it is necessary to carry out forced ventilation with dry air of the
mass of seeds, which is stored. This allows you to equalize the temperature,
moisture content of the seeds, preserve and maintain its viability and
quality.
Storage of sunflower seeds using the
vertical method is carried out in metal or concrete silos. Optimal
temperature, humidity and hygiene and pest control must be maintained
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Photo ©
Dr. Oleksii Orlov
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