Performance evaluation of manual drawn engine powered leafy crop harvester

Abstract

Different leafy vegetables are important class of agricultural products at the national and international levels. Coriander leaves are harvested and the plant continues to produce new foliage until it matures to seed formation. The major components of the machine include the cutting unit (reciprocating cutter bar), the slider crank mechanism, the reel, conveyor, storage crate and the frame. Experiments were conducted in the coriander field by varying crank speeds (200, 300 and 400 rpm) by throttle of engine and forward speed ranges (0.9-1.2, 1.3-1.6 and 1.7-2.0 km/h) in different nine combinations. Two factorial completely randomized design was adapted for the experiment by taking three replications. The results were analysed statistically. The highest effective field capacity was found to be 8.6×10-3 ha/h for the combination of crank speed at 200 rpm and 1.7-2.0 km/h of forward speed. The highest field efficiency and cutting efficiency were found to be 87.29% and 96.28% respectively with the combination of crank speed of 400 rpm and forward speed of 0.9-1.2 km/h. Economic point of view, it was found that hourly cost of operation was ₹ 129.73/h and cost of harvesting was ₹ 1907.79/ha.