PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF PROCESSED, REPROCESSED, AND STORED SORGHUM SEEDS: IMPACT OF A DENSIMETRIC TABLE

ABSTRACT Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a crop of paramount importance for Brazil, used in human and animal food. Considering the reduced number of studies on the influence of using a densimetric table in seed processing and its respective reprocessing to the equipment, this study aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of processed sorghum seeds reprocessed in a densimetric table and stored for three months. The treatments consisted of four collection points in the terminal part of the densimetric table, representing the processing material: upper part (P1), upper middle part (P2), middle part (P3), and lower part (D). Subsequently, the samples that were reprocessed in the table came from P3 and were divided into the upper part, which was followed to bagging (P3R1), and the lower part (P3R2), which followed for disposal, totaling six treatments. Storage was performed in a refrigerated environment, using a completely randomized design, with the means being compared by Tukey’s test at 5%. We concluded that the reprocessing of sorghum seeds in the densimetric table can improve the physical quality of a lot due to its standardization at the end of the stages, contributing to the improvement of the physiological quality and use of the material that would be discarded. The equipment performance allows the removal of seed fractions with lower apparent specific mass and promotes positive stratifications in the physiological quality of sorghum seed lots.

摘要 高粱（Sorghum bicolor L. Moench）是巴西至关重要的粮食作物，可用于人类食用与动物饲料。目前针对密度分选台（densimetric table）在种子加工中的应用效果，以及采用该设备进行种子复筛的相关研究较为匮乏，本研究旨在评估经密度分选台复筛后的加工高粱种子，并经三个月贮藏后的生理品质。试验设置共包含密度分选台终端的4个取样点，对应不同加工物料组分：上部（P1）、中上部（P2）、中部（P3）以及下部（D）。随后，以P3组分的物料作为复筛进料，将其分为复筛后的上部组分（用于装袋封藏，P3R1）与下部组分（用于废弃处置，P3R2），最终共计6个处理组。贮藏试验采用完全随机设计，在冷藏环境下开展，组间均值比较采用5%显著水平的Tukey检验。研究结果表明，在密度分选台上对高粱种子进行复筛，可通过各加工阶段的物料标准化提升种子批次的物理品质，同时改善种子生理品质并实现原本拟废弃物料的资源化利用。该分选设备可剔除表观比质量较低的种子组分，并实现高粱种子批次生理品质的正向分层。