High-temperature grain drying: an economic analysis applied to Brazilian conditions

Grain drying is one of the most important steps of postharvest handling, appearing as the main preservation method due to its proven flexibility, technology and reliability.1 This process is employed with the main objective of reducing the grain water content to appropriate preservation levels, comprising simultaneous heat and mass transfers between drying air and grain, in such way that the product reaches an equilibrium condition considered suitable for preserving its physical, physiological and nutritious features.2,3 Among the artificial drying methods, the high-temperature drying appears as the fastest, less energy consuming and less dependent on local climate.4,5 Although not commonly used in less developed regions due to its high initial investment, this drying technique is desirable in many industrial processes, such as in wet rice drying since it can be beneficial to the cooking quality of this product, as well as in feed industry because high temperatures tend to enhance corn starch digestibility.6