| Shattering loss and loss due to pest attack significantly reduce the quantity and quality of cowpea that can be harvested from the field, hence, the possibility of early harvest of cowpea was investigated. Thin-layer drying kinetics of IT 97K-56S-IS was experimentally investigated in a convective dryer and mathematical modelling was performed by using five thin layer drying models. Experiments were performed on samples harvested 60, 64, 68 and 72 Days After Planting (DAP) and drying temperature of 55, 65, 75 and 85ºC. The effect of period of harvest and drying temperature on the drying characteristics and nutritional content of the dried products were determined. The models performance was evaluated by comparing the coefficient of determination (R2) and... |
