Abstract: The present invention relates generally to testing dryers of crops and, more specifically, to a pilot dryer for ear corn, sunflowers and other field crops that is scalable to adjust to a wide range of desired throughputs and flexible to accommodate drying of a wide range of crops. The apparatus is for drying plant material comprising: an air preconditioning system for producing a processed air supply, a drying bin having first and second end and a bin chamber to operably receive the plant material, said bin forming a part of an airflow pathway; data sensors proximate the bin; air controls; and an airflow pathway operative to transport processed air supply through the plant material within the drying bin in either an up airflow or down airflow direction through the bin, wherein drying the plant material with said processed airflow.