IMPROVING SOYBEAN QUALITY BY SEED FRACTIONING IMPROVING SOYBEAN QUALITY BY SEED FRACTIONING

The article presents a study of the quality of soybean varieties of different harvest periods, which often differs in its quality indicators. In order to increase them, it is advisable to fractionate the seeds according to different properties (geometric dimensions, density, etc.). The purpose of the study is to study the formation of soybean seed quality depending on the process of its fractionation. To achieve this goal, the following research objectives were set: to conduct a technological evaluation of soybean seeds of early and late varieties; establish the fractionation process and determine its impact on seed quality. The object of research is the processes of forming the quality of soybean seeds during its fractionation. The soil of the experimental fields is typical – gray forest, medium loam. Weather conditions, in general and spring-autumn vegetation in particular, were favorable for the formation of optimal soybean yields. For the study used sieves with round holes with a diameter of: 6.0 mm, 5.5 mm, 5.0 mm, 4.5 mm, 4.0 mm, 4.25 mm, 4.0 mm, 3.37 mm, 3.5 mm, 3.25 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.0 mm. As a result of measuring the geometric characteristics of the studied soybean seeds, it was found that the seeds of an early variety are distinguished by large linear values. So, the length of the seeds was in the range from 5.0 to 7.0 mm, the width was from 4.0 to 7.0, and the thickness was from 2.0 to 4.0 with average values of 6.0, 4.6, respectively and 3.1 mm. In turn, late-grade soybean grain was inferior in terms of their average linear length, width and thickness by 8, 9 and 32%, respectively. Seeds entering the elevator often differ significantly in their quality. In order to increase it, it is advisable to fraction grain and seeds according to different properties (geometric dimensions, density, etc.). By means of seed fractionation, it is possible to prevent self-sorting of seeds during movement and shaking, and as a result of effective cleaning, to improve its quality, separating grain with higher protein content.