MRI techniques were developed and employed for non-destructive and non
invasive study of seedcoat cracking in low moisture soybean kernels du
ring heated air drying. Proton density image and transient moisture di
stribution profile of a single soybean kernel can be obtained using MR
I. These MRI techniques proved to be particularly useful for the conti
nuous observation of initiation and propagation of seedcoat cracking d
uring the entire period of drying process without interruption. The pr
oton density images of soybean kernels showed that seedcoat cracking w
as initiated perpendicular to the long axis of the kernel near the hil
um. The transient moisture distribution profiles in soybean kernels du
ring drying indicate that moisture gradient developed during drying wa
s higher in the seedcoat than in the cotyledon. Drying temperature and
initial average moisture content were positively correlated with the
soybean seedcoat cracking, The location of the cracks was also associa
ted with the moisture gradient. The length of the cracks could be meas
ured using MRI images.