Potential Use of Aeration in Soybean and Corn Stored in the Northwest of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract Drying agricultural products is a crucial step in maintaining post-harvest quality. Understanding the use of equilibrium moisture content is essential in grain processing, as it is an inherent property of grains. The objective of this study was to assess the number of hours suitable for maintenance aeration, cooling, and low temperature drying, while also evaluating the risks of over-drying the product or the humidification of intergranular air. This study focused on soybeans and corn stored in Unaí, located in the Northwest Mesoregion of Minas Gerais, with a moisture content of 13.0 % (wet basis). Meteorological data were collected from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, using weather stations operated by the Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET). The historical series from INMET provided daily meteorological data over the studied period, including collection hour, temperature, and relative humidity values. The results revealed that throughout the year, the air blown into the grain mass for both corn and soybeans-maintained conditions conducive to achieving a moisture content of 13% (on a wet basis). For corn, the months with the highest number of hours suitable for hygroscopic equilibrium were January, April, and June in 2020; May, June, and November in 2021; and April, May, and July in 2022. For soybeans, the months with the most hours suitable for hygroscopic equilibrium were May, June, and November in 2020; April, May, and November in 2021; and March, June, and December in 2022.