Determinación de constantes de velocidad de rehidratación y cambios sobre algunas propiedades físicas en semillas de arveja (Pisum sativum L.)

Introduction. Rehydration by immersion in water is a complex operation that aims to reconstitute products. However, research works about the physical characteristics that depend on humidity in pea seeds, are stillt scarce. Research so far has been focused on obtaining new materials, the use of tutors and on crop management. Objective. Determine the effect of temperature on the rehydration velocity constants (water absorption) and the effect of the humidity gained on some of the physical properties of pea seeds (Pisum sativum L.) of the San Isidro variety. Materials and methods. The rehydration process was performed at three temperatures (6, 18 and 30 °C), using a 1:4 (p/v) seeds/water ratio. Three measures were made at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hours. A unifactorial experimental and totally randomized design with three repetitions was used to study the influence of the temperature on the water absorption velocity constants and the humidity gain on some of the physical properties (the weight of a thousand seeds, sphericity, real density, apparent density and porosity). Results. The water absorption velocities at every temperature were: 6 °C (2,308*10^-3 min^-1), 18 °C (2,511*10^-3 min^-1) and 30 °C (4,154*10^-3 min^-1); the humidity gain caused increase in the weight of a thousand seeds and the porosity, while the sphericity and the real and apparent densities decrease. Conclusion. The temperature and the humidity have a significant effect on the rehydration velocity and on the physical properties studied.