Effects of storage conditions on quality loss of hull-less and hulled oats and barley

Abstract

Oat and barley cultivars were stored at various temperatures (10–30 °C) and relative humidities (35–80%) for one year to determine rates of seed deterioration. Two hulled oat cultivars (Robert and AC Marie), one hull-less oat cultivar (AC Belmont), one hulled barley cultivar (Bedford) and one hull-less barley cultivar (Condor) were stored. Experimental data were obtained at specified intervals for fat acidity values (FAV), germination and moisture content to determine the deterioration during storage. FAV were initially 69 mg KOH 100 g−1 dry seed for AC Marie, 43 for Robert, and 46 for AC Belmont oats. Values for barley were 8 mg KOH 100 g−1 dry seed for Bedford and 9 for Condor. The incidence of microfloral infection by Aspergillus glaucus group, Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp., Rhizopus spp., and Alternaria alternata during the storage period was determined. Storage guidelines for barley and oat, based on grain moisture and temperature, were related to FAV increases of 1.5-fold for oats and two-fold for barley. Generally, hull-less cultivars of both crops stored as well as hulled cultivars at cool, dry conditions, but they deteriorated faster at high temperatures and high moisture contents. Key words: Oat, barley, hulled, hull-less, temperature, moisture, storage