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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Grain Quality and Structure Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147279
Title: TAILORING THE SINGLE KERNEL CHARACTERIZATION SYSTEM FOR SORGHUM

Author
item Bean, Scott
item Chung, Okkyung

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2003
Publication Date: 9/28/2003
Citation: Bean, S., Chung, O.K. 2003. Tailoring the single kernel characterization system for sorghum. Program Book of the 88th AACC Annual Meeting. Abstract No. 265. p. 123. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract for the AACC Annual Meeting to be held September 28 - October 2, 3003, in Portland, OR

Technical Abstract: The single kernel characterization system (SKCS) has been widely used in the wheat industry and SKCS parameters have been linked to end-use quality in wheat. The SKCS has promise as a tool for evaluating sorghum quality. However, the SKCS was designed to analyze wheat grains, which differ substantially in structure from sorghum grains. Therefore the goals of this study were: to investigate how well the SKCS measured sorghum hardness, weight, moisture and diameter; and to relate these measurements to other laboratory methods for these parameters. Individual sorghum grains were measured for length, width, diameter, and weight by lab methods and by SKCS. Kernel weight was most highly correlated (r2=0.99), followed by diameters (r2=0.89). However, the absolute values between the SKCS and caliper diameter measurements differed by ~20%. Moisture calibration was obtained by tempering seven samples with varying hardness values to four moisture levels. The moisture contents by SKCS were compared to a standard oven method, and a non-linear relationship was found between the two methods. Finally, SKCS hardness values were compared to hardness measured by abrasive decortication. With this study, it was possible to develop improved analysis parameters such as rejection criteria and moisture measurement adjustments. These improvements are essential for tailoring the SKCS to accurately characterize sorghum grains.