Development of an ethylometer with an MQ-3 sensor for measuring ethanol in soybean seeds

ABSTRACT In the seed production sector, it is essential to use fast and practical equipment to help decision-making processes. Thus, the use of sensors that can capture information to assist in agriculture has contributed significantly to soybean cultivation worldwide, being used in several stages, whether pre-harvest or post-harvest. Thus, this study aimed to develop a prototype of ethylometer with an MQ-3 sensor and to evaluate its stabilization time when used in soybean seed lots submitted to hypoxia. The research was carried out with 10 lots of soybean seeds from five cultivars (NS 8383 RR, SOY Peso RR, M 8372 IPRO, M8644 IPRO and M8808 IPRO) and was divided into two stages. The first one corresponds to the development of the ethanol measuring equipment with an MQ-3 sensor, and the second one to measurement of the sensor’s stabilization time (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 s) in soybean seeds submitted to anaerobiosis. The equipment and the MQ-3 sensor showed the stability of average measurement at 16 s after activation. This time is recommended for use of the ethylometer in soybean seeds. Through the MQ-3 sensor, it is possible to efficiently detect ethanol present in the air released by soy seeds during the anaerobic process.