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Biosystems Engineering (2003) 86 (4), 447457

doi:10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2003.08.010
PH}Postharvest Technology

Evaluation of Air Oven Moisture Content Determination Methods

for Rough Rice
Chiachung Chen1
1

Department of Bio-industrial Mechatronic Engineering, National ChungHsing University, 250 Kuokuang Rd., Taichung Taiwan, 40227;
e-mail of corresponding author: ccchen@dragon.nchu.edu.tw
(Received 3 January 2003; received in revised form 18 August 2003; published online 2 October 2003)

The effects of air oven drying temperature and drying duration on moisture content determination of medium
grain rough rice were studied for moisture content levels from 10
2 to 32
5% (w.b.). Six different methods were
compared in this study. A moisture content determination model for an air oven was developed to describe the
effect of drying temperature, drying time, and sample grinding on moisture content determination. Drying
whole kernels for 72 h at 1058C had the smallest standard deviation. Regression equations obtained from the
measured data were used to validate the model developed in this study. This model could be employed to
evaluate the moisture determination methods for other varieties of rough rice and other crops obtained from
previous literature.
# 2003 Silsoe Research Institute. All rights reserved
Published by Elsevier Ltd

1. Introduction
The accuracy of grain moisture measurement is an
important factor in processing operations. According to
the denition, moisture content is expressed on a wet
basis or a dry basis. The wet basis moisture content
(w.b.) is dened as the ratio of the water weight to the
initial total weight of the kernels. The dry basis moisture
content (d.b.) is dened as the ratio of the water weight
to the dried weight of the kernels. Only wet basis
moisture content is used in this study.
There are two major methods to determine the moisture
content of grains: primary methods and secondary
methods (Grabe, 1989). Primary methods are also called
direct methods. In these methods, the water content in the
kernels is removed totally and moisture content is
calculated from the denition of moisture content.
Secondary methods are indirect methods in which
some physical or chemical characteristic of the grain is
measured that is affected by the moisture content of the
grain. The most common indirect methods are electrical
capacitance or conductance methods. These techniques
are rapid and easy to use. However, they must be
calibrated by the standard moisture content that is
measured by a primary method.
To ensure accuracy of moisture content determination, all moisture must be removed from grains.
1537-5110/$30.00

However, the composition of the grains, especially some

volatile substances cannot be driven off. There are three
principal techniques to remove the water from grain:
(1) drying with heated air for a xed period;
(2) distilling with high temperature oils; and
(3) extracting water by solvents.
Compared to the other methods, oven drying
methods are the simplest. There are two kinds of drying
ovens: hot air ovens and vacuum ovens. Air ovens are
more convenient and less expensive than vacuum ovens.
An air oven method was adopted for the ASAE
standards (ASAE, 1982). The drying temperature and
xed heating period are specied for different grains.
The standard procedure for 33 grains and oil-seeds are
listed in the ASAE standards ASAE S352
1. However,
no procedure for rough rice is included.
Hunt and Pixton (1974) introduced nine procedures
for moisture content determination of rough rice with
different drying temperatures and heating periods. As
different procedures are adopted by different ofcial
institutes or technical societies, results may not be
consistent. Bowden (1984) described and compared
three different air oven methods (ASAE S352, ISO
712-1079, and NIAE 16 h method) to determine the
moisture content of barley and wheat at six moisture
content levels. These results indicated that all the mean
447

# 2003 Silsoe Research Institute. All rights reserved

Published by Elsevier Ltd

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C. CHEN

Notation
b0 , b1
C1 , C2 , C3
Da
Dl
Dt
Er
H
Ht
k0 , k1
Ma
Ma1
Ma2

Ma3

Ma4

Ml
Mt
M105t72

constants
constants
apparent dry matter, g
loss in dry matter, g
dry matter of grains, g
error of moisture determined, %
surplus moisture, g
water present in grains, g
constants
the apparent moisture content, %
moisture content of long-grain ground
rough rice determined at 1308C for 1 h, %
moisture content of long-grain ground
rough rice determined at 1308C for
20 h, %
moisture content of long-grain ground
rough rice determined at 708C for
20 h, %
moisture content of long-grain whole
rough rice determined at 1308C for
20 h, %
moisture loss by grinding process, %
standard moisture content, %
moisture content of whole grains, determined at 1058C for 72 h, %

moisture contents estimated by the ASAE and NIAE

methods were signicantly less than the ISO 712 oven
method. Owing to the shorter drying time, the NIAE
method showed an underestimation of moisture content
compared to the ASAE method.
Noomhorm and Verma (1982) compared the results of
two oven methods for the moisture determination of rough
rice. For the Association of Ofcial Analytical Chemists
(AOAC) standard method, ground grains were dried at
1308C for 1 h. The other method was to dry the whole
grains at 1308C for 16 h. The range of moisture for the
long-grain variety was 1018% (w.b.). Results indicated
that moisture content determined by drying whole grains at
1308C for 16 h was higher than the moisture content
determined by drying ground grains at 1308C for 1 h.
Jindal and Siebenmorgen (1987) observed the effects
of oven drying temperature and time on the moisture
determination of long-grain rough rice. The experimental design included four treatments: 1308C for 1 h, 1308C
for 6 h, 1308C for 20 h, and 2008C for 1 h. The moisture
content determined at 1308C for 20 h was considered as
the standard moisture content for comparisons with the
moisture contents determined by the other three
methods. Signicant differences in moisture content
were found between the methods.

M105t48
M105t20
M105t16
M130t1
M105t5
M3
M6
M24
n
R2
s
t
W1
W2
yi
y%

moisture content of whole grains, determined at 1058C for 48 h, %

moisture content of whole grains, determined at 1058C for 20 h, %
moisture content of whole grains, determined at 1058C for 16 h, %
moisture content of ground grains
determined at 1308C for 1 h, %
moisture content of ground grains
determined at 1058C for 5 h, %
moisture content of peanuts determined
by drying for 3 h, %
moisture content of peanuts determined
by drying for 6 h, %
moisture content of peanuts determined
by drying for 24 h, %
number of samples
coefcient of determination
standard deviation, %
drying time, h
initial weights of sample, g
nal weights of sample after drying, g
measured value of moisture, %
average value of measurement, %

Ban and Susawa (1973) investigated three measurement conditions for rough rice. Their air oven methods
were: (1) 5 g whole grains dried at 1058C for 5 h; (2) 10 g
whole grains dried at 1058C for 24 h; and (3) 10 g whole
grains dried at 1358C for 24 h. They found that the
differences among the three methods were within 0
2%
of moisture content.
Hart et al. (1959) published a list of oven methods for
whole grains, oilseeds, and vegetable seeds. The
adequate drying temperature and drying period were
determined by comparing the results with the Karl
Fischer method (Hart & Neustadt, 1957). However,
rough rice was not included in this list. As these methods
were adopted for the ASAE standard (1982), rough rice
was not listed in this standard.
Some air oven methods for rough rice had been
introduced by different ofcial institutes or societies
listed below:
(1) American Association of Cereal Chemists (AAOC)}
1308C for 1 h, 2 g ground samples;
(2) Associations of Ofcial Analytical Chemists (AOAC)}
1308C for 1 h, 2 g ground samples;
(3) International Standards Organization (ISO R712)}
1308C for 2 h, 5 g ground samples;

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AIR OVEN MOISTURE CONTENT

(4) Japan Society of Agricultural Machinery}(a)

1308C for 0
5 h, ground samples, and; (b) 1358C
for 24 h, whole samples.
The moisture determination methods of AAOC and
ISO R712 used ground samples to reduce the drying
period. Williams and Sigurdson (1978) studied the effect
of the sample grinding process on the accuracy of
moisture determination. All grains were found to lose
signicant amounts of moisture in the grinding process.
The higher the grain moisture, the larger were the
measuring errors.
Whole grain samples could avoid the error source of
water being lost as grains were ground. In the ASAE
standard S352
1 (ASAE, 1982), the requirement of an
air oven technique was based on the specied temperature and the time for whole kernels samples weighing a
minimum of 15 g.
Regression analysis has been adopted by many
researchers to compare the effect of different methods
on moisture content determination. Noomhorm and
Verma (1982) applied a linear regression technique to
evaluate the closeness of other methods to the standard
method (AOAC). The slope values and coefcient of
determination R2 were used as criteria to test the
differences in the methods. Jindal and Siebenmorgen
(1987) also selected linear regression to evaluate the
difference between a standard method and other
techniques with different drying temperatures and times.
The intercept and slope of the linear equations were
expressed as a function of drying time and drying
temperature. Then the relationship between standard
moisture content and apparent moisture content was
expressed as a multiple linear regression model.
Balascio (1992) used regression analysis to test linear
correlation between moisture contents obtained by the
standard air oven method versus those obtained by the
various microwave methods. The slopes were checked
for the signicant difference from numeric value of 1
0.
Wilhelm et al. (1988) established an empirical equation
by multiple linear regression technique. The moisture
value measured by the convection oven was used as
the dependent variable. Independent variables included
the moisture values measured by microwave oven, the
number of samples, the drying time, and the interaction
of variables.
As there is no general agreement among countries and
organisations, it is necessary to develop a base air oven
technique to determine the moisture content for wholegrain rough rice. The objectives of this study are: (1) to
compare the effects of drying temperature and time in an
air oven on the moisture content of rough rice samples;
(2) to develop a moisture determination model for an air
oven to express the effects of drying temperature, drying

449

time, and sample treatment on the moisture determination; and (3) to evaluate the model with the experimental
data of this study and with data obtained from the
literature by statistical methods.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Equipment
The drying oven was a Memmer model ULM 400
(Memmer Co., Germany) heated with forced-air circulation. The temperature control was within 0
58C. The
control accuracy of inner temperatures was checked by a
Hart 8C 227-2562 RTD thermometer (Hart Co., USA).
The accuracy of this thermometer was 0
018C as tested
by the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
USA (NIST).
An electric balance (Model SHIMADZU BZ 32 OH,
Japan) was used to weigh the samples. The accuracy of
the balance was 0
001 g, as checked by METTLER 1585
standard weights. The standard weights were traced to
E2 class weight standard, as calibrated by the National
Measurement Laboratory, Taiwan.
2.2. Materials
Medium-grain rough rice (Taikeng varietiy No.8) was
harvested by a rice harvester at Taichung, Taiwan. The
approximate moisture content was 33
5% (w.b.). Rice
was conditioned to ten moisture content levels ranging
from 10
2 to 32
5% (w.b.). Each lot was dried to the predetermined moisture content level by placing grains on a
drying tray. This tray was constructed with metal screen
mesh. Trays with samples were placed in an oven set at
508C. Moisture content of each lot was controlled by the
initial weight, initial moisture content, and the predetermined moisture content. Each sample was about
3 kg. Samples were mixed thoroughly and sealed in a
plastic container after cooling to room temperature.
Samples were stored in a cooler at 28C for 4 weeks to
ensure moisture homogeneity. Before determining the
moisture, containers of samples were taken out, kept in
laboratory for 24 h to bring the grain temperature to the
room temperature.
2.3. Experimental design
There were six procedures for moisture determination
in this study:
(1) 1058C for 72 h, with whole grains (reference as
maize kernels, ASAE 1982), denoted as M105t72 ;

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C. CHEN

(2) 1058C for 48 h, with whole grains, denoted as M105t48 ;

(3) 1308C for 20 h, with whole grains (Jindal & Siebenmorgen, 1987), denoted as M130t20 ;
(4) 1308C for 16 h, with whole grains (Noomhorm &
Verma, 1982), denoted as M130t16 ;
(5) 1308C for 1 h, with ground grains, denoted as
M130t1 ; and
(6) 1058C for 5 h, with ground grains, denoted as M105t5 .

2.4. Experimental procedures

The moisture determination procedures were adopted
from the ASAE standard S352
1 (ASAE, 1982). The
sample size was 15 g as moisture content below 25% and
100 g was used if moisture content exceeded 25%. The
whole grains or ground grains were placed in each of
four moisture dishes. After weighing the dishes and
grains, dishes and covers were placed in the oven. At the
end of the drying period, the dishes were taken out and
covered immediately. These dishes with covers were
placed in a desiccator until their temperature was cooled
to room temperature. These dishes and covers were then
weighed with a balance.
2.5. Standard procedure
In this study, drying whole grain in air oven using
1058C for 72 h was used as the base method to determine
moisture contents of rough rice. Compared to the Karl
Fished method (Hart & Neustadt, 1957), this procedure
was the recommended method for high-starch grains,
such as corn kernels in ASAE standard S352
1 (ASAE,
1982). The drying temperature was not too high so the
volatile substance of dry material was not lost and the
compositions would not be decomposed. The longer
drying time could ensure that moisture could be
removed from rough rice totally.
2.6. Criteria for comparison
The comparison criteria to evaluate the moisture
determination procedures were as follows.
2.6.1. Standard deviation
At each moisture level, the average y% and standard
deviation s of measured values of moisture contents
determined by different procedures were calculated. The
standard deviation was calculated as
s
Syi  y% 2
s
1
n1

where: yi is the measured value of moisture in %; y% is the

average value of measurement in %; and n is the number
of samples.
2.6.2. Errors
Error of moisture determined was dened as
E r Ma  M t

where: Er is the error of moisture determined in

percentage points, %; Ma is the apparent moisture
content for each procedure in %; Mt is the moisture
content determined at 1058C for 72 h.
2.6.3. Estimated parameter
Regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the standard moisture values and other
moisture values. The numeric values of the slope and
intercept for the linear regression equation were checked
by t-test (Weisberg, 1986).

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Standard deviations
The standard deviations calculated from the four
measurements at different drying temperatures and
times are shown in Fig. 1. The standard deviations from
the 1058C for 72 h method had the smallest numeric
values. This indicated that the long drying time and
adequate drying temperature could ensure the precision
of moisture determination. The standard deviations of
moisture values increased with an increase in sample
moisture. A power curve distribution was found for the
values obtained by the 1058C for 48 h method and by
the 1308C for 20 h method. This could be explained
by the water present within the grains not being
removed, the water residuals and volatile substance loss
enhancing the variation of moisture determination. The
standard deviations from the other three moisture
determination methods are shown in Fig. 2. The power
curve distributions of standard deviations were also
found for these three methods.
All the standard deviations increased with the increase
in sample moisture. These results were the same as the
study of peanut moisture determination for pods, hulls
and kernels (Young et al., 1982), and the moisture
determination of wheat and barley (Bowden, 1984).
3.2. Linear calibration equation
Linear equations have been adopted by some
researchers to evaluate the accuracy of moisture
determination (Balascio, 1992; Jindal & Siebenmorgen,

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AIR OVEN MOISTURE CONTENT

35

0.40

0.30

Moisture content, M105t48 %

Standard deviation, %

0.35

0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
10

15

20
25
Moisture content, %

0.40

20

15

15

25
20
Moisture content, M105t72 %

30

35

Fig. 3. Relationship between moisture contents based on 1058C

for 48 h (M105t48) and moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h
(M105t72)

(2) at 1308C for 20 h

0.36

Ma 0
658 0
9974Mt ;

0.32
Standard deviation, %

25

10
10

30

Fig. 1. Standard deviations of rough rice moisture contents

based on the three methods with whole grains versus moisture
content measured at 1058C for 72 h: *, 1058C for 72 h; *,
1058C for 48 h; ., 1308C for 20 h

with a value for R2 of 0
9989;

(3) at 1308C for 16 h

0.28

Ma 0
5225 0
9984Mt ;

0.24

with a value for R of 0
9990;

(4) at 1358C for 1 h with ground sample

0.20
0.16

Ma 0
4893 1
078Mt;

0.12

with a value for R of 0
9987;

(5) at 1058C for 5 h with ground sample

0.08
10

30

15

20

25

Ma 0
7143 1
098Mt ;

30

Moisture content, %

with a value for R of 0
9980;

Fig. 2. Standard deviations of rough rice moisture contents

based on three methods versus moisture content measured at
1058C for 72 h, *, 1058C for 16 h, whole grains; *, 1358C for
1 h, ground grains; ., 1058C for 5 h, ground grains

1987; Noomhorm & Verma, 1982; Wilhelm et al., 1988;

Young et al., 1982). In this calibration, standard
moisture content was the independent variable and the
apparent moisture content was used as the dependent
variable. The coefcient of determination R2 was usually
very high. The numeric value of the slope was tested as
signicantly different from a numeric value of 1
0. The
regression equation for the moisture contents obtained
at 1058C for 72 h and moisture content obtained from
other determination techniques are listed as follows:

with a value for R2 of 0
9993;

where: Ma is apparent moisture content in %; and Mt

is moisture content measured at 1058C for 72 h in %.
The typical relationships between standard moisture
content and apparent moisture content are shown in
Figs 35. The linear data distribution was evident for the
three techniques. All the values of R2 were nearly equal
to a numeric value of 1
0 for the six calibration equations
from Eqns (3) to (7). The residual plots for these models
are presented in Figs 68. The clear patterns of distribution for these models indicated that a linear calibration
model was inadequate to describe the relationship
between standard moisture content and apparent moisture content. A more detailed analysis is required.
3.3. Error analysis

(1) at 1058C for 48 h

Ma 0
4701 0
9676Mt ;

The error for the measuring system was dened as the

difference between the measured value and the actual

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35

0.4

30

0.2
Residuals, %

Moisture content, M130t20 %

452

25

20

-0.2
-0.4

15

10
10

0.0

15

20
25
Moisture content, M105t72 %

30

-0.6
10

35

Fig. 4. Relationship between moisture contents based on 1308C

for 20 h (M130t20) and moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h
(M105t72)

15

20
30
25
Predicted moisture content, %

35

Fig. 6. Residual plots of linear regression model for the

relationship between moisture contents based on 1058C for 48 h
and moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

0.8
0.6
0.4

30
Residuals, %

Moisture content, M105t5 %

35

25

20

0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6

15
10
10

-0.8
10
15

20
25
Moisture content, M105t72 %

30

35

Fig. 5. Relationship between moisture contents based on 1058C

for 5 h (M105t5) and moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h
(M105t72)

15

25
20
30
Predicted moisture content, %

35

Fig. 7. Residual plots of linear regression model for the

relationship between moisture contents based on 1308C for 20 h
and moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

value. In this study, the error distributions versus

standard moisture content M105 t72 were applied to
analyse the error pattern.

moisture increased. The linear equation for this range

was calculated by regression analysis as follows:

3.3.1. Measurement at 1058C for 48 h

The error distribution of moisture content measured
at 1058C for 48 h is shown in Fig. 9. For the moisture
range below 20%, the error distribution was around the
zero. Below 20% moisture content, no signicant
difference could be found between the 1058C for 48 h
method and the 1058C for 72 h method. This result
indicated that 48 h drying time was enough to drive off
water from rough rice as its moisture content was lower
than 20%. At the higher moisture range, the errors were
underestimations. Errors were decreased as the sample

In this case (1058C for 48 h), the drying temperature

was adequate, the drying time was too short, and the
surplus moisture had a linear relationship with Mt ,
the relationship between Ma and Mt having the form of
Eqn (A7). The results for Eqn (8) had the same form as
Eqn (A7).

Ma 0
9419Mt 1
141

3.3.2. Measurement at 1308C for 20 h

The error distribution of moisture content measured
at 1308C for 20 h is shown in Fig. 10. No clear pattern
could be found for the error distribution. The regression

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AIR OVEN MOISTURE CONTENT

1.4
1.2

0.8
Errors, %

Residuals, %

1.0

0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4

-1
10

15

25
20
30
Predicted moisture content, %

10

35

Fig. 8. Residual plots of linear regression model for the

relationship between moisture contents based on 1058C for 5 h
and moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

15

20
25
Moisture content, %

30

Fig. 10. Percentage error differences between moisture contents

based on 1308C for 20 h (M130t20) and those based on 1058C for
72 h (M105t72) versus moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

1.4
1.2
1.0
Errors, %

Errors, %

0.8
0

0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2
-0.4

-1
10

15

20
25
Moisture content, %

30

10

15

20
25
Moisture content, %

30

Fig. 9. Percentage error differences between moisture contents

based on 1058C for 48 h (M105t48) and those based on 1058C for
72 h (M105t72) versus moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

Fig. 11. Percentage error differences between moisture contents

based on 1308C for 16 h (M130t16) and those based on 1058C for
72 h (M105t72) versus moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

model was as presented in Eqn (4). The slope value of

0
9974 was not signicantly different from a numeric
value of 1
0 by the t-test, however, the intercept value of
0
658 was signicantly different from zero. Compared to
the 1058C for 72 h method, this technique applied a
higher drying temperature, the form of theoretical
equation being that of Eqn (A8). The results of
Eqn (4) were valid in this model.

not signicantly different from a numeric value of 1
0,

but the intercept values were signicantly different from
zero. The results agreed with the theoretical assumption
of too high a drying temperature. Equation (5) had the
same form as Eqn (A8).

3.3.3. Measurement at 1308C for 16 h

The relationship between errors and M105t72 is
presented in Fig. 11. Similar to Fig. 10, no clear pattern
was found for the error distribution. The regression
model was as presented in Eqn (5). The slope value was

3.3.4. Measurement at 1358C for 1 h, ground sample

The error distribution for the moisture contents
measured at 1358C for 1 h with a ground sample is
shown in Fig. 12. Below 15% moisture content, the error
values were kept at 0
65%. The xed error could be
explained by the moisture loss from the grinding
operation. At the moisture range of higher than 15%,
the linear equation for apparent measured values and

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C. CHEN

3
2

Errors, %

Errors, %

0
0

10

15

20

25

-1
10

30

Moisture content, %

15

20
Moisture content, %

25

30

Fig. 12. Percentage error differences between moisture contents

based on 1358C for 1 h (M135t1) and those based on 1058C for
72 h (M105t72) versus moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

Fig. 13. Percentage error differences between moisture contents

based on 1058C for 5 h (M105t5) and those based on 1058C for
72 h (M105t72) versus moisture contents based on 1058C for 72 h

standard moisture values is shown as follows:

From the air oven moisture determination model,

Eqn (A8) could serve as the relationship model
for Ma4 , and Eqn (A10) could be used for Ma1 , Ma2
and Ma3 . In order to describe the relationship between
Ma4 and other apparent moisture contents, two
equations, Eqns (A8) and (A10) were combined as a
new equation.
Dl  Hs
Mai 1 k1 Ma4  C2 1 k1  k0
W1
1 k1 Ma4 C3
11

Ma 1
096Mt  0
9433:

Equation (9) has a similar form to Eqn (A10). The

intercept and slope values of Eqn (9) were signicantly
different from zero and a numeric value of 1
0,
respectively.
3.3.5. Measurement at 1058C for 5 h with ground sample
The error distribution for this procedure is shown in
Fig. 13. Below 15% moisture content, the xed error
was 0
5%. For the moisture range higher than 15%, the
linear equation for apparent moisture values and
standard moisture values was
Ma 1
125Mt  1
402

10

Equation (10) has the similar form to Eqn (A10). The

results from Eqns (9) and (10) all validated the moisture
determination model of the air oven.
3.4. Comparison with previous literature
The moisture determination model of on air oven
developed in this study also is evaluated by reference to
data from the literature.
3.4.1. Long-grain rough rice
The apparent moisture content data determinated by
air oven with four different methods were tabulated by
Jindal and Siebenmorgen (1987). These procedures were
presented as follows:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

Ma1 }1308C for 1 h, with a ground sample;

Ma2 }1308C for 20 h, with a ground sample;
Ma3 }708C for 20 h, with a ground sample; and
Ma4 }1308C for 20 h, with a whole sample.

where k0 , k1 , C2 and C3 are constants.

The relationship between Ma4 and Ma1 , Ma2 , and Ma3
can be calculated from the original data listed in the
literature by a regression analysis technique. The results
are listed as follows:
Ma1 1
0251Ma4  1
1580

12

Ma2 1
0160Ma4 0
2584

13

Ma3 0
9981Ma4 0
3464

14

Equations (12)(14) all had the same form as Eqn (11).

The slope values and intercept values for these equations
are all signicantly different from a numeric value of 1
0
and zero, respectively. This result conrmed the validity
of the proposed model in this study.
3.4.2. Barley and wheat
Three techniques for determining the moisture of
barley and wheat were adopted by Bowden (1984):
(1) ISO method: 1308C for 2 h, with a 5 g ground
sample;
(2) NIAE method: 1308C for 16 h, with a 10 g whole
sample; and

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AIR OVEN MOISTURE CONTENT

(3) ASAE standard: 1308C for 20 h for barley and 19 h

for wheat, with 15 g whole samples.
The moisture contents determined by the ASAE
standard served as the standard moisture content. The
moisture contents determined by the NIAE method and
the ISO method were used as apparent moisture
contents. The relationship between Ma and Mt were
calculated by regression analysis.
1. Barley
(a) ISO method
Ma 0
98745Mt 0
521

15

with a value for R of 0
9998.

The slope value was signicantly different from
the numeric value of 1
0. As the ISO method
applied to the ground sample, the relationship
between Ma and Mt can be expressed by Eqn
(A10). Equation (15) indicated a similar form of
Eqn (A10).
(b) NIAE method
Ma 1
0009Mt  0
222

16

with a value for R of 0
9980.

Compared to the ASAE standard, the drying time for
the NIAE method was shorter and the drying temperature was adequate. The relationship of Ma and Mt can
be expressed by Eqn (A5). Equation (16) shows a
consistent result.
2. Wheat
(a) ISO method
Ma 0
972Mt 1
108

17

with a value for R2 of 0
9969.

The slope of Eqn (17) was signicantly different
from the numeric value of 1
0 by the t-test, however,
the intercept value was signicantly different from
zero. Equation (17) was consistent with the form of
Eqn (A10).
(b) NIAE method
Ma 1
0042Mt  0
1686

18

with a value for R2 of 0
9901.

The slope value was not signicantly different from the
numeric value of 1.0 by the t-test; however, the intercept
value was signicantly different from zero. Equation
(18) is consistent with the form of Eqn (A5).
3.4.3. Peanuts
Young et al. (1982) compared three peanut moisture
determination methods. The drying temperature was
1308C. Three drying times were applied, they were 3, 6,
and 24 h. The results of this research indicated that the

moisture determination method for peanuts was based

on samples dried for 6 h in a 1308C (Young et al., 1982).
The results for three drying times were presented on
dry basis and were listed in the original literature
(Young et al., 1982). As all data were transformed to wet
basis, the data was tted by regression analysis:
M3 0
99386M6  0
2165

19

M24 0
99637M6 0
40731

20

where: M3 is moisture content dried for 3 h in %; M6 is

moisture content dried for 6 h in %; and M24 is moisture
content dried for 24 h in %.
The slopes of the two equations were not signicantly
different from the numeric value of 1
0; however, the
intercepts of the two equations were signicantly
different from zero.
As a drying time of 6 h was adequate, drying time of
3 h was too short. Equation (A5) expressed this
condition and Eqn (19) corresponded to this case. In
another case, a 24 h drying period was too long. Some
volatile substances were lost due to the higher drying
temperature. This case can be expressed by Eqn (A8) for
the loss in dry matter Dl > 0 and the surplus moisture
H 0. The result for Eqn (20) was consistent with that
for Eqn (A8).
From the above discussion, the moisture determination model of an air oven developed in this study could
be applied to different crops. The effect of drying
temperatures, drying times, and sample treatment on the
accuracy of moisture determination could be explained
by this model. This model could serve as decision tool to
help researchers to develop the moisture determination
technique of the air oven for various crops.

4. Conclusions
The moisture determination of rough rice by the air
oven method with different drying temperatures and
drying times was studied. A moisture determination
model of an air oven was developed to describe the effect
of drying temperature, drying time, and sample treatment. The method of 1058C for 72 h had the smallest
standard deviation of the six measured methods. A
linear regression technique and parameter estimation
were used to validate the model. The effect of drying
temperature and drying time can be observed by error
analysis. The relationship between moisture content
obtained from the other ve methods and the moisture
content measured by the 1058C for 72 h method all had
very high correlation; however, residual plots indicated
the inadequacy of these methods. By comparing the
moisture determination results from the literature, this

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C. CHEN

model was also valid for other varieties of rough rice

and other crops.

References
ASAE (1982). ASAE Standard (29th Edn.), S352
1. Moisture
measurement}grain and seeds. St. Joseph, MI, USA
Balascio C (1992). Calibration of microwave-oven drying
techniques versus air-oven methods for measurement of peat
moss moisture content. Applied Engineering in Agriculture,
8(2), 197200
Ban T; Susawa K (1973). Studied on grain moisture content
measurements by air oven methods (II)}investigation on
the methods without the apparent loss of dry matter.
Journal of Agricultural Machinery, 35(2), 406415 (in
Japanese)
Bowden P J (1984). Comparison of three routine oven methods
for grain moisture content determination. Journal of Stored
Product Research, 20(2), 97106
Grabe F (1989). Measurement of seed moisture. In: Seed
Moisture (Stanwood P C; McDonala M B, eds), pp 6996.
Crop Science Society of American Special Publication No.
14. Madison, WI
Hart J R; Neustadt M H (1957). Application of the Karl
Fischer method of grain moisture determination. Cereal
Chemistry, 34, 2637
Hart J R; Feinstein L; Golumbic C (1959). Oven methods for
precise measurement of moisture in seeds. USDA Marketing
Research Report No. 304, Washington, DC
Hunt W H; Pixton S W (1974). Moisture, its signicance,
behavior, and measurement. In: Storage of Cereal Grains
and their Products (Christensen C M, ed.), pp 155. AACC,
Minnesota, USA
Jindal V K; Siebenmorgen T J (1987). Effects of oven
drying temperature and drying time on rough rice moisture
content determination. Transactions of the ASAE, 30(4),
11851192
Noomhorm A; Verma L R (1982). A comparison of microwave,
air oven and moisture meters with standard method for
rough rice moisture determination. Transactions of the
ASAE, 25(6), 14641470
Weisberg S (1986). Applied Linear Regression. (2nd Edn.),
John Wiley & Sons, New York
Wilhelm L R; Perrin D R; Barbar D J (1988). Evaluation of
methods for moisture content determination in snap beans.
Transactions of the ASAE, 31(3), 956961
Williams P C; Sigurdson J T (1978). Implications of moisture
loss in grains incurred during sample preparation. Cereal
Chemistry, 55(2), 214229
Young J H; Whitaker T B; Blankenship P D; Brusewite G H;
Troege J M; Steele J L; Person Jr N K (1982). Effect of oven
drying time on peanut moisture determination. Transactions
of the ASAE, 25(1), 491496

content), wet basis, may be calculated as follows:

Ht
W2 W1  Dt
Mt

W1 W1
W1

A1

where: Mt is the standard moisture content in %; Ht is water

existed in grains in g; W1 is initial weights of grain in g; W2 is
the nal weights of samples after drying in g; and Dt is the dry
matter of grains in g.
The moisture that exists in grain must be removed by
heating at a xed temperature and for a sufcient drying
period. An adequate drying temperature and time are the key
parameters in ensuring the accuracy of the moisture content
determination. If the drying temperature is too high, some
small amounts of volatile substances will be driven off and
some constituents will be decomposed. The true amount of
material is reduced. If the drying temperature is too low or the
drying period is too short, the water in the grains cannot be
removed totally. Then some quantity of moisture is surplus in
the grains.
If the drying temperature and time are inadequate, some dry
matter is lost and some moisture is surplus. The apparent dry
matter is Da . Da can be expressed as
Da Dt  Dl H

A2

where: Da is the apparent dry matter in g; Dl is the loss in dry

matter in g; and H is the surplus moisture in g.
The apparent moisture content then can be calculated as
W1  Da
De  Hs
Ma
Mt
A3
W1
W1
where Ma is the apparent moisture content in %.
A.1. Adequate drying temperature
In this case, no excess dry matter is lost, Dl 0. Equation
(A3) is reduced to
Ma Mt  Hs =W1

A4

A.1.1. Adequate drying time, no surplus moisture

In this case, H 0, Ma Mt . The drying procedure
corresponds to the standard procedure.

A.1.2. Short drying time

When H > 0,
Ma Mt  H=W1 Mt  C1

A5

where C1 is a constant.
The relationship between Ma and Mt is a linear function.
The numeric value of slope is 1
0 and the intercept is a negative
value.
The higher the moisture content of grains, the greater is the
moisture surplus. Assume the value of C1 is a linear relationship with Mt :
H b0 b1 Mt

A6

From Eqns (A5) and (A6),

Appendix A. Air oven model for moisture determination

To determine moisture content in grain by the air oven
method, based on drying known weights of grain and by weighing
the final weights.
As water existed in grains is removed thoroughly and no dry
matter is lost, the true moisture content (standard moisture

Ma 1  b1 Mt b0

A7

A.2. Low drying temperature

In this case, drying time is either optimal or too short. No
dry matter is lost, Dl 0. Moisture in the grains cannot be

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AIR OVEN MOISTURE CONTENT

removed totally, H > 0. The condition of apparent moisture

constant is the same as Eqn (A5), Ma Mt  C1 .
A.3. Excessive drying temperature

A.3.1. Adequate drying time

No surplus water exists in grains, H 0. Some dry matter is
volatalised or decomposed due to high temperature, Dl > 0.
From the Eqn (A3), the apparent moisture content is higher
than true moisture content.
Ma Mt Dl =W1 Mt C2

A8

where C2 is a constant.
The relationship between Ma and Mt is a linear function.
The numeric value of the slope is 1
0 and the intercept is
positive.

A.3.2. Short drying time

In this condition, some surplus moisture may remain or all
moisture may be removed, so H 0 or H > 0. Owing to the
shorter drying time, all volatile substances may be retained in
the dry matter or may be lost due to the high drying
temperature. The relationship between Ma and Mt is
dependent on the numeric values of H and Dl .

A.4. Ground samples

To decrease the drying time, grains are ground into pieces as
recommended by the AOAC method. Williams and Sigurdson
(1978) studied the moisture loss during the grinding process of
sample preparation. Moisture loss was signicant as the initial
moisture levels were higher than a specic value. The amount
of moisture loss had a linear relationship with the standard
moisture content of grains.
Ml k1 Mt k0

A9

where: Ml is the moisture loss by the grinding process in %; Mt

is the true moisture content of the samples in %; and k0 and k1
are constants.
The values of k0 ranged from 0
65 to 5
0 for wheat and from
0
3 to 3
5 for barley. The values of k1 ranged from 0
05 to 0
6
for wheat and from 0
12 to 0
6 for barley (Williams &
Sigurdson, 1978).
Combining Eqns (A3) and (A9), the effect of treating
samples by grinding for moisture determination can be
expressed as
D e  Hs
Ma Mt
 Ml
W1
D e  Hs
1 k1 Mt  k0
A10
W1