Simulação de danos mecânicos em sementes de feijão carioca durante o processo de beneficiamento.

Abstract

The objective of this project was to develop equipment that simulates the mechanical damages in various beneficiai processing steps and evaluates in each step the physiological quality changes (germination and vigor) of the seeds of carioca beans as well as the changes of their physical characteristics (purity fisic, mass of one thousand seeds, apparent specific mass, porosity and mechanical damages). First, a test was done in one SPU (Seeds Processing Unit) through which parameters were inventoried: distance, speed and time processing duration in the SPU to make possible the construction of the Simulator. The steps studied were pre- cleanliness, drying under temperatures of 25, 35 and 45°C cleanliness, selection and treatment of fungus and bagging. One concluded that the physiological quality of the bean seeds is not significant from the time when it gets to the SPU until prior to the time of drying. After drying the bean seed suffers important loss of its physiologic quality, although does not change up to the final beneficiai process step. The loss of germination and vigor carne at a rate of 11.55% and 23.78% respectively; but the seeds presented germination strength above the minimum indicated to commercialize them (86% to 82.67%).