Published Paper Details:

ABSTRACT The current study aimed to determine the physical properties of finger millet (FM) cultivars (GPU-48, Indaf-7, ML-365, and MR-1and MR-6). The moisture content; dimensional properties such as length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, and arithmetic mean diameter; physical properties such as one thousand (1000) sample weight, bulk density, true density, porosity, sphericity, aspect ratio, surface area, and sample volume; functional properties such as water absorption capacity (WAC), dispensability, and viscosity were determined. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of FM cultivar varieties was also evaluated. Results revealed that ML-365 cultivar was higher than other samples in moisture content, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, arithmetic mean diameter, surface area and sample volume. Data showed that MR-6 was higher in viscosity cold paste and viscosity cooked paste than in other FM cultivars. SEM findings revealed that starch granules of raw FM flours had oval/spherical and smooth surface. In conclusion study findings are important for agricultural and food engineers, designers, scientists and processors in the design of equipment for FM grain processing. Results are likely to be useful in assessing the quality of grains used to fortify FM flour