Mix Drying Technique to Conserve the Quality of Asian Rice

In Thailand, to avoid the degradation of fresh paddy after harvesting, we investigated a pre-drying storage treatment consisting of uniform mixing of an absorbent such as dried rice husk, dried paddy, or tapioca pearl with fresh paddy. A mixing, storage, and drying model was developed to calculate the mixture ratio and changes in moisture content (MC). The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of the mixture of fresh paddy and absorbent (dried paddy or tapioca pearl) was almost equal to the average MC of the weight ratio of the mixture. The weight ratio of the mixture was calculated for an EMC below 17%, which is the maximum moisture content necessary to conserve grain quality for short-term storage. Mixing dried rice husk with fresh paddy is a simple and effective pre-drying method for maintaining rice quality. While tapioca pearl served as an effective absorbent, it is necessary to improve its firmness to ensure its reusability.