Experimental studies were conducted to study the impact damage caused
by free fall to peas and lentils. Damage was assessed on three surface
s at four moisture contents spanning the damp, tough, dry, and over-dr
y conditions for the seeds. Samples were dropped onto screed concrete,
smooth steel, and sanded plywood from 18.3 m and 9.15 m. Damage was a
ssessed by quantifying percentages of cracked, split, and total damage
to seeds in the samples. Greater damage generally occurred at lower m
oisture contents and at greater drop height on the surfaces studied. T
he wooden surface resulted in the least damage for both pulses with an
increase in total damage in peas of 0.31 percentage points from initi
al total damage of 1.03% and no significant increase in damage for len
tils. The concrete surface caused the greatest increase in damage with
0.60 percentage points in peas and 3.39 percentage points in lentils
at the low moisture contents and a drop of 18.3 m.