The water content of the seeds of peas, soya beans, linseed, grass, onion and carrot as a function of temperature and humidity of the atmosphere

Summary

Moisture content and temperature are of first importance in the storage of seeds. Seeds are usually stored in porous containers like sacks and paper bags, and their water content fluctuates with the humidity of the surrounding atmosphere. In sealed chambers, on the other hand, the humidity of the atmosphere will be determined by the water content of the seeds and, with different kinds of seeds in an enclosed space, an exchange of water will occur until equilibrium has been reached. This does not mean, however, that different kinds of seeds, or even different samples of the same kind will have exactly the same final water content, since the water content/humidity relations are affected by differences in structure, chemical composition and previous drying treatment; it is permissible, however, for practical purposes, to ignore the slight differences which occur between samples of the same kind of seed.