Modification of power operated single row rice weeder for dry field condition

Abstract

Weeding is an important agricultural unit operation. Delay and negligence in weeding operation affect the crop yield up to 30 to 60 per cent. Weeders are used for all the intercultural operations performed in the field among which power weeders are mostly used nowadays and are also one of the most important intercultural machines for small or marginal agricultural field/crop famers. It is also more economical machine as compared to other manual or mechanical weeders. The present study deals with the design modification of existing power weeder and making it suitable for dry field condition. This research work was carried out in Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, IGKV, Raipur (C.G.). The existing power weeder works well in wet land conditions but by modifying some parts of weeder and adding few parameters such as “C” type Blade, Removable extension shaft and transport wheel it performs well in dry field conditions and even it also works more effectively when compared with wet land conditions. Overall, the machine was found satisfactorily and was best suited to opt in both conditions of land i.e. dry and wet.