The largest share of corn production is used for the feed industry, while the amount consumed directly and used in the food industry is relatively small.

A small portion of corn is grown for consumption as a vegetable, namely sweet corn, but it is harvested younger so it cannot be treated as a grain product.

Corn plants can be harvested when they have reached physiological maturity (depending on the variety and altitude). The following are several factors and characteristics that can affect the harvest period, namely:

This is the Cause of ‘Imperfect’ Shaped Organic Vegetables

Corn that will be ready for harvest can be seen from the formation of a black layer on the tip of the seeds and the skin of the cob (klobot) that has dried or is light brown in color.

Corn is harvested when the cobs are 7-8 weeks after the flowers come out, the corn kernels look shiny when the cobs are peeled, and the seeds when pressed by hand do not leave dent marks, and the moisture content in the seeds has reached 35-40%.

Because the moisture content of corn kernels at harvest affects the volume and quality of the yield, if the harvest is carried out at a low moisture content (17-20%), it will cause yield loss due to distribution and quality of 1.2-4.7%. . . . lose 5-9%.

However, if harvested at high moisture content (35-40%), yield loss due to scattering reaches 1.7-5.2% and quality loss 6-10%.

Do not harvest early or the cobs have not reached physiological maturity, because it will cause a decrease in production quality such as producing a lot of young grains, so that the shelf life of corn is low.

And if the harvest is done late it will cause damage to the seeds due to environmental disturbances and pest attacks.

If the harvest is carried out in the rainy season, it will cause the corn kernels to become easily moldy so that the seeds are contaminated with aflatoxins, which are toxic metabolites produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus which can poison humans and animals.

So that the determination of the most appropriate corn harvest time in addition to paying attention to the characteristics of physiological maturity on the cob, also determines the age of the plant to reach the most optimum.

Pay attention to weather conditions at harvest, you should choose sunny weather when harvesting corn.

Harvesting of corn plants is done manually by hand, namely by determining which plants (trees) are physiologically mature and then the cobs are picked by hand until they are separated from the stems.

If it is not immediately consumed or sold, it is better if the corn is harvested with the skin so that the seeds are not easily damaged and can be stored for 3-4 months. Then the process of drying or storing corn in the form of para-para in sufficient quantities.

Post-harvest handling of corn as a grain product includes harvesting, which can be done at high levels (more than 30%) or when the moisture content of corn is quite low (20-25%), threshing, and drying, both drying. . . . corn on the cob and corn. pee.

The maturity level of corn is seen from the difference in the handling process, namely milk cooking and soft cooking which consists of harvesting, fresh packaging and storage. Then the post-harvest process of mature and ripe corn then consists of harvesting, drying the cobs, storing the cobs, stripping, drying shelled corn and storing shelled corn.

This handling aims to produce shelled corn starting from the collection of results, placement in containers, transportation, drying, stripping, re-drying and storage. Post-harvest handling is distinguished between the handling of boiled corn and shelled corn.

The following are the stages of handling boiled corn, namely:

Yield collection, which is collecting crops in a shady and strategic place while sorting cobs that are attacked by pests or diseases

Containers, which are put in burlap sacks or other containers regularly

Drying the cobs by drying the cobs one by one in a bundle containing 10 cobs or tying them by drying them on the floor

Storage, namely the cobs are stored in a storage shed or on a kitchen stove by hanging on a rope or bamboo slat.

Meanwhile, the handling of shelled corn is the same as the handling of corn on the cob, except for the activities carried out after drying, drying, re-drying and storage.