Genomics and Applied Biology 2026, Vol.17, No.1, 16-25 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/gab 21 Figure 3 Simulation of airflow inside the drying chamber (Adopted from Tan et al., 2025) 5.3 Comprehensive comparison of sensory evaluation results Just looking at the data might not be enough to get a clear picture. But when the test results and tasting experiences are compared together, it becomes very clear (Li et al., 2020). The samples that were mechanically dried had a clear advantage in terms of elasticity, taste, and flavor, and their overall performance was relatively stable, not much different from the ideal state of leaving the plants in the shed until harvest. On the other hand, the sun-drying group had lower scores in terms of appearance, aroma, and taste, and the difference could be felt clearly when eating (Pang et al., 2021). Of course, leaving the plants in the shed until harvest has good quality, but it comes with high risks and the yield may not be guaranteed. In contrast, harvesting at an appropriate moisture level and then using mechanical drying to stabilize the quality is often more realistic and easier to balance efficiency and quality. 6 Analysis of Economic and Applicability of Drying Methods 6.1 Comparison of energy consumption and cost input If we only consider electricity and fuel consumption, drying by sun exposure requires almost no energy (Sarker et al., 2019). This is why many farmers have been using this method. All they need to do is spread and turn the grain manually. Mechanical drying is different. Electricity and fuel costs are unavoidable expenses. However, the situation is changing. After equipment is updated, the energy consumption is not as high as expected. For example, after replacing fuel with heat pumps, the overall consumption can be reduced, and some money can be saved in a year (Zhou et al., 2021). The initial investment is indeed larger, but methods like waste heat recovery gradually lower the unit energy consumption. Small-scale farmers are more concerned about spending less money. Drying grain by the sun has almost zero energy consumption. While for large-scale drying centers, they usually calculate the equipment investment, operating costs and efficiency together. It's not easy to determine whether it's cost-effective or not, as it depends on the overall configuration. 6.2 Analysis of drying efficiency and production risks When it comes to speed, many farmers actually have a clear idea in their minds (Sarker et al., 2019). No matter how skilled they are in the process of drying, they still have to take into account the weather conditions.
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