EFFECT OF HARVEST DATE ON PERICARP THICKNESS IN DENT CORN

Abstract

Pericarp tissue was excised from mature dent corn (Zea mays L.) kernels harvested at physiological maturity, 30% moisture, and safe storage moisture, 15% moisture. There were significant differences in pericarp thickness among hybrids. Differences in thickness were significant at two individual measurement positions, but not on the overall mean thickness values. Thus, it appears that dent corn can be harvested at either 30% or 15% moisture with essentially similar pericarp thickness values, from excised pericarp strips.