Journal of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences ISSN:2233-8322(Print) 2508-870X(Online) 농업생명환경연구

In this study, we investigated the effects of harvest time on the popping volumes of “Oryun popcorn,” “Oryun #2,” “G popcorn,” and “Kichan Popcorn” to improve the popping quality of domestic maize. The silking days of the four popcorn maize varieties ranged from 78–81 d and their plant–ear height ratio was 53.4–64%, which is rather high. The ear lengths were shorter and the grain weights were greater at 70 days after silking (DAS) than at 40 DAS. For the “Oryun Popcorn” and “Oryun #2” varieties, the popping volumes measured at 40 DAS were 29.8 ± 0.2 cm³/g and 30.4 ± 0.1 cm³/g, respectively, and at 70 DAS were 34.8 ± 0.0 cm³/g and 35.8 ± 0.1 cm³/g, respectively. The ideal harvest time for both varieties was 70 DAS. The popping volumes of “G Popcorn” and “Kichan popcorn” varieties evaluated at 40 DAS was 28.6 cm³/g and 34.3 ± 0.1 cm³/g, respectively. The optimal harvest time for these varieties was 60 DAS, when their popping volumes were 35.2 ± 01 cm³/g and 35.9 ± 0.1 cm³/g, respectively. Analysis of the general composition of the harvest showed that the longer the ripening period, the lower the moisture content and the higher the carbohydrate and protein content. The crude fat content was less than 3.0 g/100 g. Therefore, the optimal harvest time for domestically grown popcorn maize that maximizes the popping volume for improved popcorn quality was 60－70 DAS.