Appropriate preservation can maintain grain characteristics of recent harvested grains for larger period, assuring commercial value of the stored product. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sowing periods on cooking quality of common bean grains of the TPS Nobre cultivar when stored under different temperatures, moisture content and storage times. A completely randomized design was applied, with three replications. The treatments were combinations of e three sowing periods, three storage environment and three storage times (0, 3 and 6 months). The results obtained showed that the percentage of normal and hard grains was influenced by storage environment and storage time. The highest percentage of hard grains were verified in the six month storage when storage occurred at 12ºC of main air temperature and 45-50% of moisture content and with grains of the late sowing (10/21/03). The water imbibition and cooking time varied according to sowing periods, storage environment and storage time, characterizing genotype x environment interaction on the cooking quality of common bean. In conclusion, longer or shorter time of water imbibition and cooking may be necessary as function of the grain quality at harvesting or of the temperature and moisture content during storage.
Phaseolus vulgaris L.; water uptake; cooking time; hardshell grains; genotype x environment interaction
