Drying Dynamics of Cassava Leaf and Peel for Animal Feed
Drying curves
Dehydration
Bran
Sustainability
Moisture
Cassava is a crop of great socio-economic importance, generating co-products such as leaves and peel, which are used in animal diets as sources of protein and energy. The natural drying of these residues facilitates storage, reduces hydrocyanic acid, and preserves nutrients. However, it is essential to understand the drying process to ensure the quality of the product. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the natural drying process of cassava leaf and peel, determining the minimum drying time for proper conservation. The present study was divided into two experiments. In the first experiment, the dehydration of cassava leaves was evaluated in three trials: the first two used a completely randomized design (CRD) with ten repetitions, while the third followed a 2×9 factorial scheme with five repetitions. In the second experiment, the dehydration of cassava peel was evaluated in three trials, using a completely randomized design (CRD) with ten repetitions. For both experiments, dehydration curves were developed to evaluate the moisture loss of the materials over dehydration times, in addition to the analysis of the chemical composition of the final products. The time to reach equilibrium moisture (18%) for cassava leaves was 72 and 80 hours in trials 1 and 2, respectively. In the third trial, it was observed that the leaf without petiole reached 18% moisture more quickly (30.8 hours) compared to the leaf with petiole (72 hours). Cassava peel reached equilibrium moisture after 102 and 105 hours for trials 1 and 2, respectively. In trial 3, a shorter time was observed for adequate dehydration of cassava peel (48 hours).