STUDY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN CORN GRAIN DURING STORAGE UNDER HERMETIC CONDITIONS

In recent decades, in addition to the traditional grain storage in dry conditions, the technology of grain storage without access of air - in hermetic conditions has gained a widespread in polymeric grain bags (silobags). The aim of the research was to study the regularities of the physiological processes of respiration in maize grain when stored in hermetic conditions, which would determine the terms of safe storage of different humidity grain in polymeric grain bags and reduce the costs of its processing and storage. The object of research is the technology and processes of freshly harvested corn grainstorage. As the main subject of the study, a dent-type hybrid of corn DKS 3705 was used, which, according to its botanical and agronomic properties, was better for use on food and non-food needs and for export. On the basis of the conducted researches it was established that with an increase in initial moisture of grain from 14% to21% and subsequent storage in hermetic conditions at constant temperatures the natural losses of dry matter of grain increase in comparison with losses of dry matter of grain with standardhumidity (14%), in particular, at a temperature of 18 ºС by 112%, at a temperature of 11 ºС by 296% and at a temperature of 4 ºС by 123%. Thus, it is shown that the decrease of the temperature regimes of grain storage of maize with different initial humidity under hermetic conditions contributes to the reduction of the intensity of thenatural physiological processes in it and, consequently, the natural losses of its dry matter. It has been established that during storage of corn grain for three months and reduction of temperature storage conditions from 18 ºС to 11 ºС in samples of grain with an initial humidity of 14% decrease: the absorption rate of oxygen by 34%, carbondioxide emissions, loss of dry matter and the production of thermal energy by 66%. For a grain with an initial humidity of 21%, the reduction in intensity under the same conditions is: for absorption of oxygen 22%, the production of carbon dioxide 28%, losses of dry matter 37% and the production of thermal energy 23%. Reducing the storage temperatures of corn from 11 ° C to 4 ° C in samples of grain with an initial humidity of 14% reduces the intensity: absorption of oxygen by 79%, carbon dioxide generation by 60%, dry matter loss by 60%, and the generation ofthermal energy by 60%. For grain with an initial moisture content of 21% under the same conditions, the intensity decreases: oxygen absorption by 28%, carbon dioxide generation by 77%, dry matter loss by 77%, and heat generation by 77%. Established regularities of the physiological processes in corn grain with different initial humidity when stored in hermetic conditions at different temperatures, it is possible to predict the characteristics of gas exchange processes in the grain mass, natural losses of dry matter and the generation of heat during storage of grain.