INFLUENCE OF ABIOTIC FACTORS ON THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF WHEAT GRAINS

Abstract

The article examines the effect of the main abiotic factors: temperature, wheat grain moisture content and carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration on the biological activity of grains. Biological activity, which is assessed by the intensity of respiration and the amount of CO₂ released during it, is one of the most important indicators that allows assessing the condition of grains and the storage process. During grain respiration, organic matter is decomposed, accompanied by mass loss, emissions of metabolic products and, most importantly, the resulting heat flows, which directly affect the storage process and its success.

Experimental studies were carried out using wheat grains of different moisture content (15.4 ± 0.07%, 18.0 ± 0.1% and 20.0 ± 0.06%), which were stored at temperatures of 4 °C and 12 °C in tightly closed containers. It was found that the biological activity of wheat stored at a temperature of 4 °C with the lowest humidity (15.4 ± 0.07%) was minimal – the emitted comparative carbon dioxide flux did not exceed 0.0783 ± 0.0099 mg/(kg·h), and the generated heat flux was very low (0.233 ± 0.0296 W/t). The highest biological activity was found in grains that were 20 ± 0.06% humid and stored at a temperature of 12 °C. Their emitted comparative carbon dioxide flux reached 3.07 ± 0.128 mg/(kgh), and the generated heat flux was 9.13 ± 0.382 W/t. An increase in temperature from 4 °C to 12 °C in all cases intensified grain respiration and metabolic processes. Meanwhile, CO₂ gas, reaching a certain concentration in the environment, reduced the viability of wheat and acted as a factor inhibiting its biological activity. However, the greatest influence was exerted by the grain moisture content, which determined the intensity of respiration, while temperature and carbon dioxide were factors that enhanced or inhibited this effect.