eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Food Science and Technology 2333-4835 2025-12-28 13 6 156 163 10.12691/ajfst-13-6-2 AJFST20251362 article Kokou GNRONFOU 1 2 Tchamye Tcha-Esso BOROZE tboroze@univ-lome.tg 2 3 3 Essohouna TAKOUGNADI 3 3 Department of Physics, University of Lom¨¦, 01 B.P. 1515 Lom¨¦, Togo Solar drying is a sustainable post-harvest technique for maize valorization in tropical regions, but its performance strongly depends on thermal stability and solar radiation variability. This study presents the modeling and experimental validation of a solar greenhouse dryer, developed using coupled heat and mass balance equations expressed in matrix form. Simulations were compared with experimental data obtained from an instrumented prototype during three consecutive drying days. A strong agreement was found between simulated and measured values (MAE < 5°C; R² > 0.98). Internal air temperatures (45-57°C) ensured uniform evaporation, reaching a hygroscopic equilibrium moisture content of 10% within two days. The average thermal efficiency was 8.81%, indicating effective solar energy utilization. The obtained results confirm the relevance of solar-biomass coupling in stabilizing the drying process, improving energy efficiency, and maintaining the quality of dried maize under tropical climates. https://pubs.sciepub.com/ajfst/13/6/2/ajfst-13-6-2.pdf solar drying maize greenhouse dryer thermal performance energy efficiency tropical climate