A Physical characteristics of néré pods and seeds: influence of location and processors preference

Résumé

This study aimed to assess the characteristics for Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R. Br G. Don, seeds to generate data for equipment designing and to understand how producers’ preferences are related to the origin and attributes of pods and seeds. The seeds were extracted from mature fruits collected in two successive years from the same trees in three sites located in different ecoregions in Burkina Faso. Length and section circumference of pod were determined according to the description of Dadzie and Orchard (1997), seeds weight according to ISO 520 (2010) description, seeds length, width and thickness according to the description of Aydin (2007). The seeds preferences were determinate by a trained panel composed of 8 processors. A variability was observed in the physical characteristics of pods and seeds depending on the year of collection the origin and the individual tree; however, the larger pods contained the largest seeds. The physical characteristics of the seeds, particularly the weight of 1000 seeds, reflected closely the preferences expressed by soumbala producers rather than the origin nor the form. In order to handle more homogeneous seeds batch, dehullers designers could combine sifters to the model with three types of wheels which holes and spacing are 7.32 mm and 4.07 mm for small seeds; 8.28 mm and 4.67 mm for medium seeds and 9.29 mm and 5.39 mm for large respectively