The variety of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), known as manteiguinha beans, is native from Amazon region, the cultivation is mainly done by small producers dominated by family farms. The physiological quality of manteiguinha bean seeds, in concern to the germination and emergence rate index are directly connected to the moisture content of the seeds. Therefore, are required studies to evalute the behavior of seeds such as beans their potential hygroscopic and drying conditions. In intention for contribute to improvements in agricultural productivity cowpea, the main objective of this study was to qualitative evaluate of manteiguinha beans seeds behind drying process in conventional spouted bed. In this context, it was first defined the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of fresh seed according to obtain their moisture sorption isotherms at temperatures of 40, 55 and 70 °C. The thermodynamic parameters of sorption, as isosteric heat, and entropy change in Gibbs free energy were evaluated from the GAB model and through Clausius-Clapeyron and Gibbs-Helmholtz relations. The compensation theory enthalpy-entropy was properly applied to the isotherms indicating that the moisture sorption phenomenon in manteiguinha bean seeds is controlled by enthalpy. To carry on the drying process were defined operating conditions of the spouted bed trhough fluidodynamics parameters analysis (maximum pressure drop, pressure drop in stable spout, pressure drop in the minimum spouting and the minimum spouting velocity). In carry out of the drying tests were applied to experimental design technique Box-Behnken and through statistical analysis of the experimental data was possible to evaluate the influence of input variables: air temperature (Tar), air velocity (Uar) and time drying (t) on the responses, moisture ratio (XR), germination percentage (G) and emergence speed index (ESI). The optimal point of the drying process, estimated by global desirability function obtained when the bed particles operated at temperature and drying air rate of 57 °C and 0.934 m / s, respectively, for a period of 240 minutes. These conditions are obtained seeds with final humidity 0,12 kg water/ kg dry solid, germination of 82.53% and 14.73 and emergence speed index.
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