Full Maturity

Full Maturity 

the last stage in the maturation of bread grains. At full maturity, the stalks of wheat, rye, oat, and barley plants yellow and dry out completely. The grain hardens to the point that it cannot be cut by a knife and may be only split. Morphogenesis is complete, and the chemical composition has been established. However, at full maturity, the grain has not yet reached physiological maturity. It does not germinate at all or has low germinative capacity until undergoing a period of additional post-harvest maturation. The stage of full maturity lasts three to five days. When the grain is left standing too long, its quality decreases and losses from shedding increase.