3. Case studies

3.1 Industrial corn drying

France's second-largest plant production, grain corn averaged 16 Mt nationwide, although 44% of production was concentrated in the southwest (Aquitaine, Poitou-Charentes and Pays de Loire).

For storage, grain must be dried to a moisture content of 14-15% (wet basis) to avoid :

• reduced germination capacity;

• the proliferation of moulds, some of which generate toxic substances;

• respiration phenomena (a grain at 30% humidity has a respiration intensity 400 times greater than at 15%), the consequences being a loss of dry matter and an increase in temperature (risk of deterioration, or even fire).