Assessment of Maize Grain Hardness Using Sugar Solution for Flotation Index Determination

Maize kernel hardness is an important characteristic that affects various aspects of grain quality and processing. Kernel hardness plays a significant role in the grain's ability to absorb and retain water during cooking processes, like alkaline-cooking or nixtamalization1To determine grain hardness, a modification has been made to the official method by replacing sodium nitrate with commercial sugar in the flotation index (FI) test. This modification allows for the accurate assessment of kernel hardness and can be by farmers, processors and other actors of the value chain as an easy and accessible proxy analysis