ABSTRACT
All cereals, when exposed to air with high RH, will absorb water from the air. When wet cereals are exposed to air with
low RH, the kernels will release water to the air. The equilibrium moisture content is the final moisture content of the grain after being stored for some time with surrounding air of a certain temperature and RH. If the grain is not protected against the humidity in the air, particularly during the rainy season when the RH is very high, the grain moisture content will increase and this will lead to intrinsic and extrinsic grain deterioration and loss of quality. If the grain is stored in an enclosed storage environment, such as a bag or silo, the air surrounding the grain, if it is well sealed, is not in free contact with outside air. In this case, the RH of the enclosed air will reach equilibrium with the moisture content in the grain. The final RH of the enclosed air is often expressed as the “equilibrium RH.” The higher the grain moisture content of the stored grain, the higher the equilibrium RH, and the higher the chances of insect and mold development or loss of grain viability. Normally, an equilibrium RH inside the facilities of 65% or less is considered a safe prevention against the development of molds.
