Bry-Air Asia Private Limited

Civil Lines, Delhi

Moisture/ Humidity control for Seed drying and Seed Storage

A variety of seeds are commonly stored for consumption or processing in future. The primary concern in such storage is to protect the seed from damage by fire, water, insects and rodents. However, seeds must also be preserved for sowing at a later date or for genetic experiments. When stored for such purposes, the seeds must also be protected from loss in germination potential.

Importance of Seed drying and storage

Due to improper drying and storage conditions, seeds suffer from major retarding effects. These are:

• loss of viability
• discoloration
• toxin production
• growth of fungus.

Therefore, seed conservation through efficient processing and storage becomes factor of prime importance. Proper drying limits the subsequent rate of seed deterioration during long term storage.

Three important factors determine the shelf-life of seeds:

• Storage temperature
• Relative humidity of surrounding air
• Moisture content of the seed during storage

Purpose of Seed Storage

After the seeds are dried, the next phase is their safe storage. Safe storage of seeds is important for a variety of reasons. Obviously, seeds must be preserved for use as human and animal food, and for planting. Seed viability must also be protected for various uses (germplasm protection) by the plant scientist who maintains a permanent reservoir of seed stock by establishing a seed bank.

Seed storage is the maintenance of high seed germination and vigour from harvest until planting. The purpose of seed storage is to maintain the seed in good physical and physiological condition from the time they are harvested until the time they are planted. Seeds have to be stored, of course, because there is usually a period of time between harvest and planting. During this period, the seeds have to be kept somewhere. While the time interval between harvest and planting is the basic reason for storing seeds.

Seed suppliers are not always able to market all the seeds they produce during the following planting season. In many cases, the unsold seeds are carried over in storage for marketing during the second planting season after harvest. Problems arise in connection with carryover storage of seeds because some varieties and lots of seeds do not carryover very well.

Optimal Seed Storage conditions

Storage conditions depend on projected use of seed. Seed Storage has certain requirements which include protection from water, contamination, rodents, fungi etc. Additionally, controlling relative humidity and seed storage temperature is vital. The two are interrelated. Interestingly, for short term storage, their relationship can be expressed by a simple rule of thumb. Storage temperature (in F) plus relative humidity should total 100.

For achieving the controlled air requirement, refrigeration, offers a direct, simple and economic solution to control both temperature and relative humidity to the specified level.

Bry-Air Dehumidifiersfor moisture removal and humidity control, in conjunction with refrigeration equipment for sensible cooling and temperature control, are being used extensively by leading seed processors worldwide. Thus, preserving the basic element of nature, the perpetuator of life SEED.

• Insulated double wall construction in CRS
• Sight glass for checking material level
• Slide gate to control material flow
• Removable air distribution cone for uniform air distribution
• Clean out door*
• Loader mounting arrangement for automatic loading
• Machine/floor mounted
• Emergency drain out for quick change of batch
• Quick openable latches for top cover removal

The Bry-Air Seed Dryers and Seed Storage Systems dry and preserve seeds without affecting their quality.

Seeds need to be preserved for short term and long term for future use .replanting as well as research. Seed ageing and ultimately death occurs due to time. However, it is possible to ensure long survival of seeds by controlling temperature and relative humidity. Reduction in temperature and moisture content ensures increased seed life.

Seeds can be preserved for long period by lowering the moisture content of seeds to around 5%.This is achieved bydrying the seeds. Conventionally, seeds are dried at elevated temperatures which destroy their germination potential.

Bry-Air Seed Dryers, based on the state-of-the-art Desiccant Dehumidification Drying Technology, dry the seeds to the required level in approximately eight (8) hours without affecting their quality.Seeds dried prior to storage can regain moisture and suffer damage if not stored under controlled conditions. Dried seeds can be preserved for years in dehumidified stores without loss of germination potential.

Bry-Air Dehumidification based Seed Dryers and Storage Systems are being used extensively world over by commercial and plant breeding organisations including the FAO.