ABSTRACT This study investigates the performance of a solar‐biomass hybrid dryer developed for drying Elaeagnus caudata (Mirika Tenga), a medicinally and nutritionally valuable fruit of North‐east India. Fresh samples with an initial moisture content of 80% (on wet basis) were dried under hybrid and open sun drying (OSD) modes. The hybrid dryer efficiently reduced moisture to 6.5% within 19.5 h, compared to 22.5 h for OSD. The drying rate in hybrid mode (0.16 ± 0.025)–(9.15 ± 0.10) kg/h consistently surpassed OSD (0.16 ± 0.02)–(6.64 ± 0.085) kg/h, highlighting its superior efficiency. Moisture transport analysis yielded an effective diffusivity of m 2 /s and an activation energy of 60.28 kJ/mol, reflecting favorable internal mass transfer. Among several thin‐layer drying models evaluated, the Verma model provided the best fit (Adjusted R 2 = 0.9943, RMSE = 0.0110), accurately describing the drying kinetics. Response surface methodology further highlighted dryer temperature as the most influential factor by governing system performance. Additionally, Quality assessments demonstrated improved retention of color attributes in solar‐biomass hybrid drying. Microbial analysis confirmed hygienic safety, with hybrid‐dried fruits showing lower total plate counts ( cfu/g) than OSD ( cfu/g). Proximate analysis indicated satisfactory nutrient retention in dried fruits, with notable increases in protein, fiber, and carbohydrate content resulting from moisture loss, which concentrates the nutrients per unit mass, rather than an actual increase in nutrient content.
Gohain et al. (Wed,) studied this question.