Progress and Prospect of Grain Drying Technology in China
During the "10th Five-Year Plan" period, China invested significantly in improving grain drying infrastructure, particularly in key maize-producing regions with high moisture content—namely the three northeastern provinces and eastern Inner Mongolia. A total of 187 fully equipped grain drying facilities were established, adding a new drying capacity of 5.3 million tons per year. This greatly enhanced the state-owned grain storage capacity, bringing the total annual capacity to approximately 30 million tons. Alongside this, various technical measures were introduced to improve the quality of dried grain, ensuring better preservation and reducing post-harvest losses.
However, challenges remain. During the corn storage process, several unfavorable factors can cause mechanical damage to the grains after drying, leading to breakage and reduced quality. As a result, users of dryers have become increasingly concerned about the final quality of the dried corn. To address this, many operators have started adjusting the drying process by lowering the hot air temperature, slowing down the drying rate, and minimizing internal stress and cracking. These adjustments help reduce the risk of damage during transportation and handling. Additionally, through extensive field testing, improvements were made to auxiliary equipment, such as reducing conveyor belt speed, modifying bucket elevator structures, and optimizing grain flow gaps, all of which contributed to better performance and lower loss rates.
Despite these advancements, there are still significant issues in China's grain drying technology. For instance, the distribution of drying facilities is uneven, with a notable lack of infrastructure in major rice and rapeseed production areas in southern China. The scientific approach to constructing and operating these facilities is still underdeveloped. Moreover, the quality of grain drying needs further improvement, and the development of drying and heating technologies has been slow. Energy efficiency remains low, and dust removal systems suitable for grain drying processes are still lacking, resulting in environmental pollution from dust emissions.
These challenges not only hinder the progress of the grain storage and processing industry but also open up new opportunities for innovation in the drying equipment manufacturing sector. In recent years, both international and domestic researchers have placed increasing emphasis on the development of advanced grain drying technologies. Scholars such as Dirk Maier from Purdue University and Bakker-Arkema from Michigan State University have outlined future trends, emphasizing four key directions: specialization of drying techniques, intelligent control systems, diversification of energy sources, and cleaner drying environments.
From an international perspective, while keeping in mind China’s unique agricultural conditions, the concept of these “four modernizations†continues to serve as a guiding principle for research and development in grain drying technology. Over the next five to ten years, China is expected to make rapid progress in several critical areas, including the scientific design and application of southern grain drying facilities, the development of precise drying techniques, improved ventilation systems, energy-saving and biomass energy utilization technologies, intelligent control systems, and advanced dust removal solutions for drying operations.
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