Determination of maturity and reaping indices for peanuts
1992
Hinds, M.J. (West Indies Univ., St. Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago). Dept. of Chemical Engineering)
This study sought to establish objective crop-maturity (reaping) and pod-maturity (maturity) indices for the St. Vincent-grown NC2 peanut cultivar. Various biochemical and physical-property parameters of maturity-rated and composite samples of pods and seeds collected over 3 years were investigated and correlated with sensory characteristics of the roasted seeds. The maturity-rated and composite samples were used to determine maturity indices and reaping indices, respectively. The influences of relevant agroclimatological factors on crop and pod maturity were examined. The following parameters were confirmed as reliable maturity indices: (a) a percentage nut-fill of 41.52 +- 1.29 in green pods, and (b) a weight percent of 57.37 +- 0.77 oleic acid in oil from green seeds. A percentage nut-fill of 38.25 +- 2.21 in green composite pods was a fairly good indicator of crop maturity, while a weight percent of 55.79 +- 0.59 oleic acid in oil from green composite seeds was definitely an ideal reaping index. Incorporation of agroclimatological factors related to soil moisture and temperature, mean daytime air temperature and solar irradiance into regression analyses produced equations which enabled reliable estimation of weight percent oleic acid in oil (OL) of composite seeds as crops matured, and prediction of optimum reaping time for crops from either actual or estimated OL values. This is the first known use of percentage nut-fill and weight percent oleic acid in oil of seeds as objective maturity and reaping indices for peanuts.
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