1) It is very important to dry maize thoroughly so as to increase the storage life and to maintain high quality of produce through:i) reduction in growth of fungi
ii) reduction in storage insect infestation, especially the GGB
iii) reduction in respiration of the kernel
iv) prevention of germination while the kernel/seed retains its germination potential.2) The characteristics of a good maize-drying system are:
i) The system should be effective and efficient, i.e. the kernels should get dry as soon as possible.ii) The system should be free of insect pests, i.e. it should be cleaned and disinfected.
iii) Maize should be sorted prior to loading into the drying system.
iv) It should be secure from theft by people and wildlife.
v) The system should be free from spoilage by soil, dirt, rain and other climatic factors.
3) Prior to drying, farmers should ensure that:
a) The drying structures are in good shape, swept/cleaned and disinfected.b) The cob maize has been dehusked and sorted. Only the good quality maize should be admitted to the drying structure.
c) The sorted cob maize should be located on/in the drying structure carefully.
4) When maize is dried on trays or mats in the compound, the sun's rays dry it directly.
Sun drying
i) Let direct sun rays reach the maize during the day.ii) Let water evaporate from the wet maize.
iii) Do not allow dew or mist at night to fall on the maize. Either cover the maize or put it inside the house at night.
iv) Do not let rain fall on the maize. Either cover it in such a way that water may run off or put it indoors when signs of rain appear.
5) When maize is dried in cribs air facilitates the drying
PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE COMPLETED CRIB
i) When constructing the crib, let the largest surface area face the direction from which the wind blows during most of the day.ii) Let it be possible-for wind to be blown through by providing sufficient gaps for it but which are not so big as to allow small cobs of maize through.
iii) Do not construct a crib which is more than 1.5 meters in width (wind will not blow through easily, so drying process will be inefficient.)
iv) Provide sufficient roofing and gradient/slope of 45° so that the rain may not get through.
v) The leaves should not be longer than 0.5 m or else smooth flow of air will be interfered with.
vi) Let the crib stand raised about 1.0 meters from the ground so that rats may not get in and so that air may circulate from below.
vii) Provide rat guards (made of Kimbo cans or sheets of metal) to prevent rats from getting in.
viii) Cut down and trees, grass, bush, etc. which may interfere with the flow of the wind or admit pests (rats, insects, etc.).
ix) Construct the crib in the open so that air circulation may be maximized but not so far away from the house that the maize may be stolen by thieves and wildlife.
6) Similarly, when maize is dried on the loft, hot air/smoke facilitates the drying.
i) Maize is dried by hot smoke from the fire-place.
CROSS-SECTION OF A TYPICAL LOFT
ii) Gaps should be large enough to enable the hot smoke to go through but small enough that the small maize cobs do not drop through.iii) The kitchen should be well thatched with a slope of 45° so that rain does not drip through.
iv) The main advantages are that nobody gets to know exactly how much maize there is up there and one does not have to keep transferring maize into and out of the house.
v) The loft has so many disadvantages which will be described later.
7) It is important for every farmer to improve his/her maize-drying technique and structure if losses are to be avoided.
