Question

Crop drying refers to the removal of moisture by

• A. Condensation
• B. Sublimation
• C. Transpiration
• D. Evaporation

Hint:

Crop drying is an evaporation process where liquid moisture in grain absorbs latent heat and vaporizes into moving air.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Post-harvest crop drying lowers grain moisture content to safe storage levels ($12\text{--}14\%$) to prevent spoilage.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In convective hot-air crop drying, sensible heat from the air provides the latent heat of vaporization to water molecules in the grain.
Liquid water diffuses to the seed surface and transitions into vapor phase through thermal evaporation into the unsaturated air stream.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Thus, crop drying refers to moisture removal by evaporation.