Contemporary evaluation methods of maize quality and technological values

Abstract

An ever growing importance of contemporary maize processing has imposed a need for more intensive research, within a field of quality and technological value of grain, as well as, relations between quality factors and maize utilization. A new concept of the developed maize market encompasses the identification of the most important utilization, as well as, requirements of each single use pertaining the essential grain properties. Several methods and tests for determination of properties, such as kernel hardness, kernel density, floatation index and water absorption index that are very important for estimation of the maize utilizable value, have been modified, according to contemporary tendencies in the world research, in the course of the long-term maize quality testing performed at the Department of technological research of the Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje.

Rastući značaj suvremenih procesa prerade kukuruza nametnuo je potrebu intenziviranja istraživanja u oblasti kvaliteta i tehnološke urednosti zrna, kao i veze između faktora kvaliteta i upotrebe kukuruza. Novi koncept razvijenog tržišta kukuruza je da se identifikuju najznačajnije upotrebe, kao i zahtevi svake pojedinačne upotrebe u pogledu najbitnijih svojstava zrna. Sledeći tendencije savremenih svetskih istraživanja u višegodišnjim ispitivanjima kvaliteta kukuruza u Odseku za tehnološka istraživanja Instituta za kukuruz modifikovano je više metoda i testova za određivanje svojstava, kao što su tvrdoća zrna, gustina, indeks flotacije i indeks apsorpcije vode, koja su od izuzetnog značaja za procenu upotrebne urednosti kukuruza.