Assessment of power weeder efficiency using diverse blade mechanisms in inter-row weeding

Abstract

Weeding is one of the most labour-intensive and time-consuming tasks in agriculture. Weeds are essentially unwanted plants that compete with crops for light, moisture, and nutrients, thereby reducing overall yield. Among various weeding methods, mechanical weed control is favoured due to its timeliness, safety, reduced physical effort, and cost-effectiveness. This study utilized a self-propelled machine powered by a 5.76 hp, 4-stroke single-cylinder diesel engine. Three sets of blades-rotary, non-rotary and a combination of both, with multiple adjustment options-were developed and fabricated to perform the weeding operations. The weeding operations were carried out in an inter-row mode where crop spacing was less than or equal to 750 mm for dry land crops. Results showed that the combined blade achieved greater depth and weeding efficiency, whereas the rotary blade performed the lowest in these aspects. The effective field capacity was found to be highest for the non-rotary blade and lowest for the combined blade. Field efficiency was higher with the combined blade, while it was lowest for the non-rotary blade. Fuel consumption, cost of operation, and man-hours per hectare were highest for the combined blade and lowest for the rotary blade. The maximum performance index was found for the rotary blade and lowest for the combined blade. One-way ANOVA analysis indicated that the blade mechanism had a significant effect on inter-row weeding parameters such as depth, field efficiency, fuel consumption, plant damage factor, cost of operation, man-hours per hectare, and performance index, with significant differences observed at p