Whereas there was no evidence of a differential effect on rice
cooking time, after 9 months storage, rice hardness was lower
when grains were stored in silos equipped with exhausters. Zhou
et al. (2003) reported that higher storage temperatures result in
harder grains. The increase in the grain hardness can be attributed
to the higher temperature that was reached under the storage
conditions without exhausters because, according to Park et al.
(2012), this elevation may be related to the hydrothermal disruption
of starch granules and the increase in the content of insoluble
materials that are caused by storage at higher temperatures. Hightemperature
storage has been reported to increase the hardness
and adhesiveness of kernels (Meullenet et al., 2000). Studies by
Park et al. (2012) and Tsugita et al. (1983) showed that rice stored at
40 C had a harder texture than rice that was stored at 4 C.