Method to evaluate ease of pericarp removal on lime-cooked corn kernels

A simple and effective method to evaluate the ease of pericarp removal on lime (CaO)-cooked corn (Zea mays L.) has been developed. Corn kernels placed in perforated nylon bags are lime-cooked for 20 min at 98 to 100 °C and then stained in a solution containing methylene blue and eosine Y. We evaluated 11 corn hybrids grown at seven locations in 1989. The relative ease of pericarp removal was affected by hybrid and by growth environment, with hybrid differences being most important. The method requires a small samples, is rapid, and is ideally suited for ease of pericarp removal in screening large numbers of samples in breeding programs (...)