The Feasibility of Microwave Ovens for Drying Plant Samples

Microwave ovens l ppe8r to be 8 vi8blc 8Item8tive to forced 8ir I8bor8tory ovens for obt8ining dry weights for vegetrtion samples. Two gr8ss species, Kentucky bluegr8ss (Pea pratensis) 8nd till fescue (Fatucu urundinaceu), were used to determine percent moisture lose by yeighbt at 3 weight lo8dings. The lo8dings were al 8pproxim8tely 50,100, urd 200 weights. For the 3 loadings, times rquired to obt8in a dried sample were at most 4.5,7.5, and 11.0 minutes, respectively. The time rquired for 8U sunples in the convention81 18b oven WM 72 hours.