IR radiation method in moisture testing of various types of grains

The aim of the research was to compare the possibilities of using various research techniques to determine the moisture content of wheat, barley and corn.The research material consisted of grain samples collected immediately after 2022 harvest from various climatic and cultivation areas located in Poland.Grain moisture content was determined using a grain moisture meter (GAC), NIR analyzer, and moisture analyzer (MA).The research cycle of the NIR and GAC methods was known, as they are normative methods.The result of the MA method was strongly dependent on the wavelength of the emitter's IR radiation, therefore, through a series of studies, the parameters of this method were correlated to obtain a result consistent with the results of normative methods.This approach is mandatory for each type of grain and takes into account the reaction of the components constituting the sample, its degree of fragmentation and the transmission of mass and heat in the structure of the sample when it is heated.The moisture content in the grain varied depending on the type of grain, the research method used and the climatic and cultivation area.The highest moisture content was found in corn grain, on average 31.42 6.83%, and the lowest moisture content was found in wheat grain, 12.60 5.05% and barley grain, 12.81 0.88%.It was found that the precision of the moisture results of the optimized MA method depended on the climatic and cultivation area from which the grain samples were taken for testing.The MA method can be used instead of the NIR and GAC methods, maintaining the appropriate research procedures.