International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology
Citation: IJAEB: 8(2): 477-487 June 2015
DOI Number: 10.5958/2230-732X.2015.00055.8
©2015 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved
AGRICULTURE ENGINEERING
Mechanical properties of onion seeds ( Allium cepa variety
aggregatum L.) under compression loading
M.M.ȱPragalyaashree 1 *,ȱR.ȱKailappan 2 ȱandȱZ.ȱJohnȱKennedy 2
1 Department of Food and Agricultural Process Engineering, Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641004, India.
2 Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641003, Tamil Nadu, India.
Corresponding author: shreepragalyaa@gmail.com
Paper No. 339
Received: 18 July 2014
Accepted: 22 May 2015
Published: 29 June 2015
Abstract
Someȱ mechanicalȱ propertiesȱ ofȱ onionȱ seedsȱ wereȱ investigatedȱ inȱ thisȱ study.ȱ Theseȱ propertiesȱ areȱ
oftenȱrequiredȱforȱtheȱdesignȱofȱtransportation,ȱstorageȱandȱgrading/sortingȱmachinesȱandȱotherȱpostȱ
harvestȱ machinesȱ forȱonionȱ seeds.ȱ Theȱ seedsȱ wereȱ compressedȱalongȱ threeȱmutuallyȱperpendicularȱ
axesȱandȱtheȱpropertiesȱstudiedȱwereȱinitialȱruptureȱforce,ȱruptureȱforce,ȱdeformationȱatȱruptureȱandȱ
energyȱconsumedȱatȱrupture.ȱTheȱrangesȱofȱmoistureȱcontentȱinvestigatedȱwereȱ7,ȱ9,ȱ11,ȱ13ȱandȱ15%ȱ
(db),ȱrespectively.ȱTheȱtestsȱwereȱcarriedȱoutȱatȱaȱdeformationȱrateȱofȱ70%ȱstrainȱenergy.ȱOnionȱseedsȱ
wereȱcompressedȱalongȱmajorȱaxesȱ(length),ȱintermediateȱaxesȱ(Breadth)ȱandȱminorȱaxesȱ(thickness),ȱ
respectively.ȱPhysicalȱpropertiesȱlikeȱdimensions,ȱgeometricȱmeanȱdiameter,ȱsphericityȱandȱmassȱwereȱ
alsoȱevaluated.ȱItȱwasȱobservedȱfromȱtheȱresultsȱthatȱruptureȱforce,ȱPeakȱforceȱandȱenergyȱconsumedȱ
atȱruptureȱdecreasedȱwithȱincreaseȱinȱmoistureȱcontentȱandȱtheȱdeformationȱatȱruptureȱincreasedȱwithȱ
increaseȱmoistureȱcontent.
Highlights
Keywords: Ruptureȱforce,ȱpeakȱforce,ȱsphericity,ȱdeformationȱetc.,
Onionȱ( Alliumcepa ȱL.ȱvar.ȱaggregatum)ȱisȱanȱimportantȱ Thereȱareȱtwoȱmethodsȱofȱseedȱproduction.ȱSeedȱtoȱ
commercialȱ horticulturalȱ cropȱ andȱ belongsȱ toȱ theȱ seedȱandȱbulbsȱtoȱseedȱmethodsȱandȱbothȱtheȱmethodsȱ
“Liliaceae”ȱfamily.ȱItȱisȱusedȱasȱvegetableȱandȱspiceȱ areȱinȱpracticeȱforȱonionȱseedȱproduction.ȱMostlyȱtheȱ
allȱ overȱ theȱ worldȱ andȱ isȱ richȱ inȱ sulfur-containingȱ bulbȱtoȱseedȱmethodȱisȱfollowedȱforȱseedȱproductionȱ
compoundsȱ thatȱ areȱ responsibleȱ forȱ theirȱ pungentȱ becauseȱ itȱ permitsȱ selectionsȱ ofȱ “true-to-type”ȱ andȱ
odoursȱ andȱ forȱ manyȱ ofȱ theirȱ health-promotingȱ healthyȱbulbsȱforȱseedȱproductionȱandȱseedȱyieldsȱareȱ
effects.ȱ Indiaȱ isȱ theȱ secondȱ largestȱ producerȱ ofȱ comparativelyȱveryȱhigh.ȱTheȱseedȱtoȱseedȱmethod,ȱ
onionȱinȱtheȱworldȱwithȱaȱproductionȱofȱ16.81MT/haȱ however,ȱcanȱbeȱpracticedȱforȱvarietiesȱhavingȱpoorȱ
(NHB,ȱ2013).ȱOnionȱisȱmainlyȱraisedȱthroughȱseeds.ȱ keepingȱqualityȱ(Agarwal,ȱ2008).
Seedȱproductionȱisȱwidelyȱadaptedȱtoȱtemperateȱandȱ
Moistureȱ contentȱ isȱ oneȱ ofȱ theȱ mostȱ importantȱ
subtropicalȱregions.
characteristicsȱ ofȱ biologicalȱ materials.ȱ Moistureȱ