EFFECTS OF RICE KERNEL THICKNESS ON HEAD RICE YIELD REDUCTION DUE TO MOISTURE ADSORPTION

This study investigated the effects of rice kernel thickness on equilibrium moisture content (m.c.), and the reduction in head rice yield of separated kernel thickness fractions due to moisture adsorption. Thicker kernels retained on screen Nos. 24 and 23 attained slightly lower average equilibrium m.c. than kernels retained on screen No. 5 when exposed to uniform desorption conditions following harvest. Thicker kernels also produced dramatically higher head rice yields than thinner kernels. Results showed that thicker kernels, which comprised about 50% of rice bulk, were relatively more susceptible to reduction in head rice yields from moisture adsorption in comparison with thinner kernels.