Physical properties of cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) in biosphere reserve oasis of Morocco

Upon completion of this study, the physical properties of cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) were determined and their applications were also discussed in order to expand knowledge on this species and provide useful data for seed technology processing. The physical properties were evaluated for four cumin genotypes coming the oasis environment and foreign variety used as control. The studied properties are the axial dimensions, arithmetic diameter, geometric diameter, sphericity index, surface area, bulk density and thousand grain weight. The study revealed a variability between cumin genotypes for all physical properties measured with superiority of oasian genotypes G2 and G4 falling under localities of Afrou and Boudib respectively. The average for three characteristic dimensions, the length, width and thickness of cumin seeds evaluated ranges from 5.07 to 6.18 mm, 1.46 to 1.76 mm and 0.76 to 0, 95 mm respectively. The average arithmetic diameter, the average geometric diameter, the average surface area and the average sphericity index are between 2.44 and 2.96 mm, 1.80 mm and 2.16, 9.83 and 13.91 mm2, 0.35 and 0.36 respectively. The mean bulk density ranges from 0.37 and 0.52 g/ml while the thousand grain weight is between 3.33 and 4.67 g.