Daily Changes in the Water Content of Early and Late Maturing Grain Maize Varieties in the Later Stages of Over-Ripening

The water content of the grain, the cob and the internode below the ear, and the thousand-kernel mass of early (Mv 251, Ipoly) and late (Tisza, My 500) maize varieties were recorded three times a day between 7 and 17 November 2006. No daily drying was observed in the moisture content of the kernels, cobs or ear stalks. The only exception was the internode below the ear, which tended to dry gradually. Although significant differences were found between the varieties, these probably developed prior to the testing period, and did not change to any great extent during the measurements. From the point of view of harvest date, no substantial change can be expected in the equilibrium water content reached for each variety at different moisture levels, so it is unlikely that savings can be made on drying costs.