PROFESSOR JAYASHANKAR TELANGANA STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
RAJENDRANAGAR , HYDERABAD

AELP: SWEET CORN PRODUCTION UNIT

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
DR. BHARATH BHUSHAN RAO SIR MANISHA PRASAD
CARA-2017-094
BSc(Hons.) Ag 4th year 2nd sem
 ASSIGNMENT-
SWEET CORN HARVEST: QUALITY AND SAFETY
 INTRODUCTION

• Sweet corn (Zea mays convar. saccharata var. rugosa ; also called
sugar corn and pole corn) is a variety of maize with a high sugar content.
• Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive mutation in
the genes, which control conversion of sugar to starch , inside the
endosperm of the corn kernel.
• Unlike field corn varieties, which are harvested when the kernels are dry
and mature (dent stage), sweet corn is picked when immature (milk
stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain.
• Since the process of maturation involves converting sugar to starch, so sweet corn is stored promptly
and must be eaten fresh, canned, or frozen, before the kernels become tough and starchy.

• It is one of the six major types of corn, the others being dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, and
flour corn.
 SWEET CORN COB HARVEST

• Generally sweet corn is early in maturity.

• Staggered planting of sweet corn at intervals of 7-10 days will enable farmers to
harvest sweet corn ears at intervals for continuous supply to the market and
thereby get continuous and higher returns
• It is harvested in 70-75 days during kharif season. Green cobs are harvested after 18-20 days of
pollination during kharif.
• At the harvest time the moisture is generally 70% in the grain, and sugar content varies from 11 to
more than 20 %.

• Under optimal harvest and post-harvest conditions, the maximum shelf-life of sweet corn is only
about 5 to 7 days. The longer the sweet corn remains at above optimal temperatures, the shorter the
marketable shelf-life.
• Under good management, two ears are borne per plant especially in the rabi (winter) season.

Maturity symptoms-
• Sweet corn is ready for harvest when the silks are dried and turning brown, but
before the outer leaves of the husk lose their green color and start to shed.
• The ear husks are still green at this stage and the kernels remain lustrous at milky
stage. The ears should feel firm, and the kernels should have a milky or creamy
appearance when squeezed.

• Harvesting too late will result in reduced quality.

• Every effort should be made to keep harvested ears cool and in shaded areas.
 HARVESTING METHODS

• Corn cobs can be harvested by hand, in two or three stages depending

on their ripening.
• Hand Harvest: The majority of sweet corn is harvested by hand because
this method allows for better selection of marketable ears.
• In the first stage of harvest about 65% of the crop is collected, in the
second – 23%, and in the third – 12%.
• Manual picking of cobs is most often used in farms supplying them
for direct consumption, i.e. to the so-called fresh produce market.
Mechanical Harvest: Sweet corn is mechanically harvested by self-propelled or tractor-pulled
harvesters. With mechanical harvest, the part of the stalk that contains the ears is cut by the
harvester, and the ears are subsequently removed either by the harvest machinery or by hand.
 CULLING CRITERIA

• When assessing the marketability of sweet corn, kernel rows should

appear uniform and individual kernels should look full and plump
with a high percent milk.
• The husk should adequately cover the entire ear with no separated
leaves.
• Ears should be inspected for live insects, damage from insects and
diseases, and defects such as discoloration, decay, and handling
injury.
• The shank should be trimmed short at or immediately after harvest
to reduce moisture loss, and flag leaves may be trimmed for visual
appeal.
• Sweet corn must be moved quickly from the field to packing sheds, where it should be rapidly
sorted, packed, and cooled.
• Sweet corn is generally packed in wire bound wooden crates, which can hold from 4 to 6 dozen
ears, depending on the size of the crate or ears. However, cabbage bags or wax impregnated cartons
can be used and typically hold about 60 ears.
• The ears are graded according to the raw ear size and packed in polythene bags and sold in the
market.
 MAINTAINING QUALITY AT HARVEST

• Since sweet corn is harvested at an immature physiological status, choosing the right time for harvest is crucial
to ensuring a high-quality product.
• Sweet corn has a high respiration rate, it produces heat which can cause ears in bulk trailer loads to heat up
considerably during delays between picking and precooling. 
• The main factors that take part in the loss of quality are sugar decay, drying, the grains dent, bract yellowness
and some diseases.
• The main factors that take part in the loss of quality are sugar decay, drying, the grains dent, bract yellowness
and some diseases. They are as-

• Sugar decay
Sugar decay is considered as an important factor in the quality decrease, Sweet corn quality is dependent on
sugar content and volatile flavor compounds.
• Under room temperatures ,sweet corn will lose 50% or more of its sugars in 24 hours.
• The sugars in the kernels will begin to convert to starch , after when the ear is harvested or after the milk
stage, if left on the plant, which will reduce the sweetness and tenderness of the product.
• So, its picking should be done in the morning or evening time.
• The higher the temperature, the more rapidly this process occurs. To avoid losses in quality, it is critical to
cool the sweet corn as promptly as possible after harvest and to maintain the cold temperature through to
market.
• The temperature recommended in order to slow down the process of sugar
decay during storage is 0ºC; the higher the temperature is, the greater the
sugar decay.
• Thus, sugar decay at 10ºC it is 3 or 4 times faster than at 0ºC, 6 times
faster at 20ºC, 12 times at 30ºC and 24 times at 40ºC.
• However, the rate of sugar decay depends also on the variety; thus, the
richer in sucrose the variety is, the longer the storage period. The extra-
sweet varieties show less quality loss when they are not quickly pre-cooled.
• Drying
The drying occurs when the maize grains loose water. In order to avoid it, the pre-packaging is recommended to
be in plastic, both stretchable or retractile, since they maintain high levels of relative moisture (95-100%).

• Dent of the grains

It is a direct consequence of water loss, they loose their
rounded shape and there appear some dips that diminish
their quality.

The application of pricked ice on the produce causes

the temperature lowering and help to maintain a
humid environment.
Sweet and Dent kernels are both visible on this corn ear.
• Pests are also a preharvest factor causing major post-harvest losses.
• Fungal infections such as corn smut (Ustilago maydis) and ear rot (Fusarium verticilloides) lead to losses
due to altered morphology or the accumulation of mycotoxins.
• Caterpillars of corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) are two of the
main pests feeding from the corn cob and increasing post-harvest. In addition to direct feeding on the
produce, these insects can act as vectors for the previously mentioned fungal infections.
• The disorders and damage from pests and pathogens can significantly reduce the produce quality and safety
during the post-harvest shelf life due to mechanical damage, or microbial growth
Examples of the most commonly found disorders in sweet corn production. (a) Unpollinated tips (b) Top pink and black
mould growth, bottom caterpillar feeding damage. (c) After cooking browning in damaged kernels. (d) Disordered pollination.
(e) Dehydration and kernel whitening. (f) Detail of after-cooking browning in undamaged kernels.
• Kernel splitting or cracking can be caused by a low carbohydrate content of the endosperm that under
changing post-harvest conditions can damage the pericarp, and another cause of kernel cracking can be
irregular irrigation leading to quicker growth of the endosperm than the pericarp.
• This damage can increase the exposure to pathogens and moisture loss limiting or reducing the product
shelf life

• Other factors that can affect the quality of sweet corn include damage from , drought, or other
environmental conditions.
• After harvest, plowing and destroying crop debris as soon as possible can help to avoid pest overwintering
and breeding sites.
• In the case when cobs are harvested at high temperature, or when their delivery might be
delayed by several days, they should be cooled down as soon after the harvest as possible. The
simplest and most frequently used method of corncob cooling is splashing them with cold water
(so-called hydro cooling).
• For maximum quality, sweet corn should be cooled to around 32° F(0 °C) within an hour after harvest.
• Sweet corn should be precooled to as close to 0oC as possible, although it is rarely cooled below 4oC in
commercial practice. Several methods of cooling sweet corn are available:
 Hydro-cooling : 

• It consists of pre-cooling by either showering the corn or immersing it in cold water.

• It is the most popular method of precooling.
• Immersing the corn in cold water is much more efficient than showering the corn.
• A dealer or engineer is to be consulted to ensure maximum efficiency and sufficient
capacity to handle anticipated daily volume of sweet corn.
• Vacuum cooling is also becoming popular to cool down fresh-cut produce, although it requires higher
infrastructure and associated costs.This method has a shorter cooling time when compared to room
cooling. When this method is used for sweet corn, pre-wetting the cob is highly recommended to reduce
moisture loss
 Packaging: 

• This is an excellent method of precooling sweet corn which is used for

local, direct shipments.
• In this method, 7-10 Kg of crushed ice is distributed throughout the
container (box or crate) during the packaging process.
• The amount of ice needed in a package depends on the temperatures of
the corn at the time of packing and on the expected length of the
marketing period.
• Typically about 500 g of ice for 2 Kg of sweet corn is sufficient.
• The main disadvantage is that if shipment to market is delayed, the
package is heavy and wet.
 Cold Storage: 
• To maintain best quality, sweet corn is placed in cold storage
immediately after precooling.
• Storage can be in a refrigerated truck or in a room.
• Temperature is maintained as close to 0oC as possible without
freezing the corn, and relative humidity of the air in the cold room at
95 percent or higher to keep the corn fresh.
• The corn is to be taken out as soon as possible since more than a few
days in cold storage will decrease quality.
 Cooling in Transit: 
• Sweet corn must also be kept cold in transit. The best method consists of blowing
finely crushed ice over the top and through the corn crates, as the trucks are loaded.
This method of icing keeps temperatures low during transit but provides little or no
additional cooling. The refrigerated truck only maintains the temperature of the
already cooled corn. It is not meant to be used as a substitute for precooling. It is
important to remember that for maximum quality and value, sweet corn must be
continuously and properly refrigerated from harvest until it reaches the consumer.
 Food safety and sanitation
• General precautions to avoid contamination with potential sources of human pathogens should be
practiced throughout the growing season.
• Good sanitation practices are just as important during harvest, packing, and shipping.
• The microbiota is one of the problems that has potential to reduce the shelf life of sweet corn. Levels
lower than 2 colony forming units (CFU−1 g) need to be guaranteed for the safety of the produce. 
• Below are some guidelines that can help reduce the potential for contamination.
Maintaining Food Safety during Harvest

• When hand-harvesting, field workers should not harvest or handle culls to prevent the spread of
infectious agents. Culls should be left in the field and removed by a separate.
• Clean and sanitize all field equipment such as harvesting aids, picking containers, knives, brushes, buckets, etc.
and avoid placing tools in direct contact with the soil.
• Plastic containers are better to use than wood because they are easier to clean and sanitize.
• All workers should wear rubber or latex gloves and sanitize them often at chlorine sanitizing dip stations.
• Sick workers should wear protective gear that shields the product from exposure, or they should not be allowed
to touch fresh produce.
• Keep containers to be used for packing and shipping clean and separated from dirty ones.
• Don’t allow them to touch the ground or any unsanitary surface where they can become contaminated
 Maintaining Sanitation Post-Harvest
• Water used for cooling purposes should be potable and continuously treated with a sanitizer such as chlorine
to prevent the introduction of pathogens.
• Cold-storage facilities should be cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis.
• Even in cool conditions, the human pathogen Listeria moncytogenes can survive and multiply when moisture
is present.
• Condensation and drips from refrigeration units should be minimized.
• Transport vehicles such as refrigerated trailers should also be inspected, cleaned and sanitized regularly.
• To prevent contamination, sanitation techniques are used across all the production processes.
• Solutions of antimicrobial compounds are the most used technique to sanitise surfaces, reduce
microbial loads and prevent cross-contaminations.
• Among the most popular antimicrobials are sodium hypochlorite (25–200 mg l−1), hydrogen peroxide
(only for surfaces) and citric acid (0.1–0.5 M.
• For sweet corn kernels, Kumar and Gautam, suggested a chlorination process based on the use of
200 ppm of sodium hypochlorite for 5 min, which achieved a shelf life of kernels at 4°C for up to
30 days.
 Conclusion:
Maintaining sweet corn post-harvest quality and shelf life is challenging because of the high sugar and water
content in the cobs.
On the other hand, these characteristics give sweet corn its sweetness, texture and customer appeal.
In this review, we found that post-harvest shelf life and quality can be best preserved and enhanced by
(a) keeping temperatures as close as possible to 0°C throughout the post-harvest process, which is the most
important factor to extend sweet corn shelf life,
(b) reducing field and respiration heat in sweet corn by rapid hydrocooling.
(c) the use of films to create a modified or controlled atmosphere is proven to preserve sweet corn quality and
lessen the effect of higher storage temperature. Film properties and perforation rates should be considered for
each shelf-life scenario.