STARCH YIELD SENSITIVITY OF MAIZE HYBRIDS TO DRYING TEMPERATURE AND HARVEST MOISTURE-CONTENT

Nine maize hybrids from the 1994 crop, representing the range of hybri ds grown in the U.S. central corn belt, were harvested at high (33-35 %) and low (21-22 %) moisture contents and laboratory dried at either ambient temperature (about 25 degrees C) or 110 degrees C. Similarly, nine maize hybrids from the 1995 crop were harvested at two different moisture contents and dried using either ambient temperature or 80 deg rees C. Both sets of samples were wet-milled using a 100g laboratory p rocedure. Significant differences were observed between hybrids as to the effect of drying air temperature and harvest moisture content on w et-milling yields. Eight of the 9 hybrids dried at 110 degrees C and h arvested at high moisture contents showed significantly lower starch y ields (by 7.2-15.1 %) when compared to starch yields of the same hybri ds dried at 110 degrees C and harvested at low moisture contents. Resu lts also indicated that there is a hybrid-dependent effect of high-tem perature drying and harvest moisture content at 80 degrees C drying ai r temperature. Starch yields of some hybrids harvested at low moisture contents are negatively affected if dried at 80 degrees C. However, t here were mixed results on starch yields if the hybrids were harvested at high moisture contents and dried at 80 degrees C.